Complicated, Complicated, Love
by StormyTitan7
Summary: Leblanc leaves behind the Syndicate to join the Youth League so that she will finally be able to have a romantic relationship with Nooj. She declares that Logos, to everyone's surprise, is to be the new leader of her organization. Now she can finally have the life she's always wanted. This is what she wanted, isn't it? LogosxLeblanc but NoojxLeblanc is heavy in this. Contains OC's
1. Simple Complications, Love Unnoticed

**A/N: In this one I am DETERMINED to get Leblanc and Logos together! : ) And I will do it (though it probably won't pertain to future fanfics as I have a liking of their relationship struggling!) But this fanfic won't be about one kind of love. After all, there's so many kinds of love but they can easily stretch into each other. Fine lines make it up, and I'm gonna finely paint this story out! **

**_Complicated, Complicated Love_**

* * *

><p>"Chapter 1: Simple Complications, Love Unnoticed"<p>

* * *

><p>"Why couldn't Nooj just notice me already?" Leblanc's full lips pursed into a pout as she buried her chin into her pillow. Mara, the best hands of all the Fem-Goons, rubbed her spine up and down, literally attempting to knead out all the stress of day with her motions.<p>

"Oh, I don't know," Mara shook her head sympathetically after a short time for thought. She was there, like always, to witness when Nooj was either totally oblivious of her Boss's advances or ignoring them with practiced ease, but she couldn't come up with an exact reason as to why that was. Encouragingly, and in hopes that it would raise her Boss's spirits, she tilted her head and added cheerfully, "Maybe next time, right Boss?"

"I'm starting to think there isn't going to be a next time!" Leblanc let her face flop into the softness, bringing no comfort to the hurt behind her expression. Her voice came out a muffle as she mumbled into the surface a moment later, "And after everything I've done for him! Just for him!"

"I know," Mara leaned farther back to reach Leblanc's lower back, "Hey Boss, I don't really want to suggest this, but maybe it's time to start looking for someone els-?"

"Don't even go there!" Leblanc's head shot up and she gripped the pillow with tense fingers, "Don't say it or even think it, alright!"

Mara broke contact with her back as she raised her hands in the air, yelping a little at the outburst, "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad, Boss!"

"Hmph!" Leblanc relaxed a little after the Goon put her hands on her shoulder blades again with slow caution, "Just don't do it again, love."

"Yes ma'am!" Only one of Mara's hands lifted up as she saluted, then she relaxed and let her hands rest on Leblanc's lower back for a second as she boldly, though meekly at the same time, ventured back into the dangerous issue, "But maybe…it's something…to think about? I know it's hard but sometimes people need to think about what is-"

Leblanc closed her eyes to block the images of Nooj, but the action only made it worse, "I don't want to talk about it, Mara."

"Oh, okay, no, I get it," Mara's honey sweet voice seemed to nod in understanding and she smiled, "I'm being quiet now."

"You could get a man yourself," Leblanc changed the subject from herself to the Goon, "Hmm, Mara?"

"Oh no," Mara flushed and brought her hands to her face, shaking it many times as she, flustered, attempted to find an excuse as to why she shouldn't, "I couldn't possibly be able to-"

"You're pretty Mara, you could get yourself someone," Leblanc buried the weight of the side of her face into her elbows, "Don't be so embarrassed about it, love. I'm just saying that you should."

"Of course," Mara smiled again and replaced her hands on either side of her spine to worked down, "But who would be for me, really?" She let out a sugary laugh that threatened to give the very room, if it had teeth, cavities, "Oh, no, I think I'll pass for now, Boss."

"Suit yourself," Leblanc smiled back briefly before closing her eyes softly, her head still lying sideways into her bent elbows.

"Boss, about Nooj-" Mara began yet again.

"I don't want to talk about it, love," Leblanc sighed, her temples tightening despite herself to avoid headaches, but she forced herself to remain lax and calm in her body, "Let's talk about something else."

"Well, you know," Mara ran her tongue over the inside of her bottom lip, nervously trying to force out what she thought. _There is other men. You don't have to waste your time on such a stuffy guy like Nooj that doesn't care for you beyond business anyways. You deserve better than that!…_ Mara couldn't, no matter how hard she tried, force the words she wanted to say out of her thoughts. Her soft-heart clenched at the knowledge that, dare she actually say it aloud, her friend would go in a state as she often did when she received such advice.

Mara much preferred the day-dreaming, silly, sighing Boss in comparison to that _person_, she was when Leblanc thought to deeply about Nooj in a bad way. Unfortunately, that cute little person was starting to fade away as Leblanc was becoming frustrated with the progress with Nooj, and Mara bit her lips hard at thinking about what her Boss may need to hear but didn't want to.

"Talk about something else." Leblanc looked over her shoulder to stare up at the Goon's covered face, "Mara."

Her tone spoke of her irritation so the Fem-Goon shrugged and let it go with a soft, 'Okay.'

Mara didn't feel like letting it go, but did out of the authority and employment that her 'friend' had over her. She respected Leblanc, and surely feared her, but she didn't want her to remain blind to what could be better either. Maybe there wasn't a man now, but soon, maybe one day, someone would come along and sweep their Boss off her high-heeled feet and make a difference. Unlike, Nooj, a handsome and surely powerful man (though neglectful), who disappeared from her life often, for his obligations and other interests that didn't include their own beloved blonde headed leader.

Leblanc was madly in love with him, despite everything. She cried for him when he went missing and fought beside him when he didn't even ask for it. But did he return her feelings? No, not even with a negative answer. Mara would never want to see her Boss hurt, but she didn't want her hanging by a thread for so long either. This 'is he? Is he not?' thing was dragging on, but how could she, just a Goon, help end it? How could she hurt her boss and friend like that? She couldn't so her mouth, as always, twisted in ways behind her mask but said nothing.

Leblanc didn't notice the tension in the woman kneading her back as she flooded her vision with Nooj and her brain with thoughts of him.

_Nooj is the only man for me, _Leblanc frowned and turned her head to close her eyes as Mara's trained touch lulled her, _What other man could possibly care for me anyways?_

* * *

><p>"Logos, you jerk!"<p>

Ormi poked his head out from behind his own bedroom door as a loud crash erupted from down the hallway, signaling the end of an on-going argument and the outcome of it as well.

In his opinion, Logos shouldn't even **think** about dating the girls, after all the pretty lil' dames worked under them, but that didn't stop his gun slinging, ladies' man friend for a second. Girl number-oh, the count was twenty two perhaps?-stormed out with frigid muscles and gritted teeth.

"Oi!" Logos, his head helmet-less exposing his, at the moment, disheveled hair as he struggled to slip back into his tight fitting blue shirt that he wore under his uniform. His feet skipped across the floor as his head was yanked through his collar and he fumbled a bit with the sleeves, trying to catch up at the same time. He started to follow after the simmering girl with tightly clenched arms under her breasts, shouting at her back, "If you could just give me a quick second to explain the-!"

"Go to Hell!" The girl yelled without looking behind her and continued on with her fuming away. Goons of all ranks stopped from their journeys from the bathroom, rooms, and whatever they were doing in the beginnings of the night, to stare knowingly at the top-heavy Fem-Goon that continued to curse at her now ex-boyfriend. Ormi himself smiled slyly as the 'show' went on without any hesitation and like a bad drama, had the same lines…

"No, don't go-" Logos chased her down the hallway until she jumped over the overrides, not bothering to turn them off even if the traps were set for the time of night, "It's not like I'm cheating on you or anything!"

"That's not what matters!" The Fem-Goon jumped over the second override and turned around, "Don't you get it, Logos?"

"Erm," The gunner twisted his face up for a split moment, his feet stopping in his shuffling as the girl's feet had, "If I say no…?"

"Ugh! You ass!" She pushed past him and elbowed his lower back as she passed hard enough to make him fall forward with a loud 'thwump'.

The Fem-Goon barely heard the scraping that was the spike walls opening up from their hiding places and sliding across the stone ground towards her abandoned boyfriend.

"Hn!" Logos crawled quickly back the override pits before simply falling down into the second to avoid the sharp points.

She pushed past the staring Goons at the end of the overrides and turned as the booby-trap reset itself back in the lower part of the hall, screaming, "I hate you!"

"Well, right now the feeling is mutual!" Logos placed his bony elbows on the stone to haul himself back onto the right level, "You could of killed me I hope you know!"

"All the better!" The Fem-Goon turned back down the hall and turned up toward Ormi's part of the basement, "I hope you do die!"

"Hey wait!" Logos jumped across the pits and leapt down to the level of the hallways, "Don't be that way, if it helps any, I'm sorry!"

"Ha! Oh, really?" The Goon turned around again and put her hands on her hips, "I find that hard to believe!"

"Maybe you should stop doubting," Logos's face never was one that was very friendly, and it showed that now in his frown, "I don't have anything else to say but that."

"Nothing to say but that? You heartless wretch!" The Goon was furious now, "Why is it that's all you have to say? What exactly do you think of me Logos? You never once said, 'I love you' or anything that would clue me into what you really think."

He blinked then tilted his head to the side, "I never was one for sentiments. I find it difficult to find words for feelings like-."

"Oh? That's what it is huh? Funny thing Logos, as silver-tongued as you are, I find it hard to even imagine you having difficulty with finding words. Especially since you come up with excuses even faster than cheap flattery!"

"Cheap fla-" The space between his eyebrows knitted and formed a crease, "I gave you my attention didn't I? And you took it just as happily as I did four months ago!"

"Screw you, Logos," The Goon stomped on his foot and he let out a sharp hiss in return. Before leaving, she flipped him the bird, then turned up to the ramps and into the living room, where'd she exit the building and go home, maybe to never come back again.

Ormi held in his howls of laughter until the loud boom of the secret passage resonated through the basement levels, then he just simply couldn't hold it in. He pealed into a fit that lasted as he spoke and pointed at his friend, his other trunk-like arm holding his side as he did so.

"Bwa ha ha! Youse did it again, Logos!"

"Oh, please, do laugh it up, Ormi," Logos took his time in walking up to Ormi's door before he shrugged with indifference, "It wouldn't be the first time I was rejected."

"Whut coulda youse possibly have done this round, huh?" Ormi patted his sides and then took a few deep breaths to calm himself, "Did youse got too 'touchy' again, or did she find those recordings in your bed stand?"

Logos rolled his eyes, "No, she found my lack of emotional attachment unbearable."

"Hmm? That's a new one," Ormi sniffed in sarcastically, "Whut didja say to let her in on it? She wasn't really bright so's I don't see's how she coulda found out herself."

The screaming and shouting, mostly from the female side, had been going on for about forty-five minutes before the argument came to its audience-viewed end. For a moment it almost seemed to get better before she exploded out of the gunslinger's room and proved otherwise.

Logos ran the length of his nose with his index finger and looked back down to his bed room to avoid eye contact, "I simply said I didn't want to get to attach to _her_ specifically after she got well, a bit clingy."

"Jus' like that? No wonder she's pissed!" Ormi raised an eyebrow at the lack of tact his friend actually possessed in his tall frame, "And youse said **I **had a bad way with words."

Ormi was always on Logos's side of arguments, having the bias of being buds with him to start out with. But the stout man knew when something was just plain stupid, even if he was a bit slower than his intellectual friend, but that line would've made _any_ given situation worse. Much less in an argument with a attention deprived girlfriend.

"She overreacted considering, I always figured she wanted the same thing from me as I did from her," Logos rubbed the back of his neck and gave a half-shrug again to try and off set the weight that laid on his shoulders from the embarrassment she had just put on him with her little tantrum. "She even told me at the beginning that she didn't want anything complicated. But it dragged on a couple of months more than expected so I suppose she thought it was more than what it was…"

It wasn't supposed to be complicated. They set that out at the start when they hooked up after drinking a little to much and waking up not minding the position they found themselves in. She had no right to be a total bitch about the situation; he never did anything to make her be that way from what was set out before. What's more, he spared her from the full truth of why we was bothering with her at all, and she should be grateful for that! Now as it stood he wished he had, seeing now that **that **blow to her pride might be just satisfying enough for him to maybe even sneak in a laugh in this crappy situation.

"Uh-huh," Ormi looked at him with half-closed lids and a slight frown, "Youse ain't someone to talk about overreacting when youse always overreact your's-self. "

Logos rolled his head on his neck to look over him through his top eyelids, "How so? Oh, please indulge me on what you think, Ormi."

"An' you under react when it matter's, ya know?" Ormi lifted up his chest, continuing like Logos hadn't said a thing, "Like right now, think 'bout how that broad might be a lil' hurt right now!"

Logos snorted, thinking, _And using the word 'broad' surely wouldn't hurt her finicky little ego._ Once done with the thought he spoke from the corner of a vulpine smirk, "Well, she threw her anger out on my foot so we're on even ground now."

"That don't make youse guys even, Logos," Ormi shook his head in disagreement. They were friends for certain, but to each his own on the their views of relationships.

"What?" Logos raised a thin eyebrow, "Like this is my fault?"

"I's would say so, buddy," Ormi let out a chuckle, a slight understanding he had of the tall man was just enough to earn friendship and know the fact that he wasn't going to budge in his view at the moment. Ormi decided to leave it alone and contented himself with the knowledge that when he finally got a girl for himself, he wouldn't be pushed in front of any booby-traps.

Ormi smile broadened as he exposed the big whites in his mouth, his shoulders making big shakes as he laughed, "At least I know it'll be quiet from your room tonight! Bwa ha ha!"

"Don't count on it!" Logos snapped, his body leaning forward a bit, before crossing his arms irritably. Ormi's door slammed shut and the gunner's eyes drifted over the halls, now empty as there was nothing more worth seeing, and back up the silent ramp.

"Hmph!" His usual scowl deepened and his expression tightened into a crossed and ugly face. His fingers dug into his sleeves until he felt the bony points in his flesh and heard the cloth of his loose sleeves strain against his strong digits.

This thing he was going for wasn't working. The last twenty two tries should've been proof enough of that, Hell, the first ten should've sufficed. All the girls just ended up with angry or hurt feelings at his lack of attachment. And he just was prompted to be more clamped up than before. All he wanted was to forget about the thing that bothered him the most, nothing complicated just simple, but that wasn't happening. Twenty-two tries later couldn't stop him from being continuously bothered by it.

Logos wasn't likely going to forget what he really wanted anytime soon…

* * *

><p>"Boss," Logos lifted his head in polite acknowledgement of his superior and took another sip of his coffee from the Guado cup he found in a random back cupboard.<p>

It was twisted, like many hand-crafted Guado things, but it certainly wasn't fancy. The mansion held many glasses of fine shining crystal and goblets of carved and polished wood and some silver, of classical designs, but the wood cup in his hand conflicted with all of that nonsense. It was straight, despite it's twisted design, and the rim was rubbed smooth into the rounded edges with simple pyre flies dancing across the sides in a carving.

The out of place cup was filled to the brim with dark hot liquid but was quickly half-emptied in a greedy and nearly numb gulp from the gunner.

"Ugh, I don't see how you drink it plain like that," Leblanc scrunched her nose to the side in slight disgust, "And it looks like it's practically boiling!"

"I prefer it this way," Logos took a smaller sip from the cup and swallowed the almost scalding hot liquid, "Hrm, anything for today?"

"We're going out for the sphere waves that come in this morning as soon as we get them, personally," Leblanc took a fruit of her choosing from the table and took a crisp bite of its flesh. The juice from her pear dripped a little on her bottom lip and she licked it up swiftly and efficiently enough, with no meaning to seem suggesting as she did so.

She hardly noticed how good it tasted, but she also didn't notice her gunner shift slightly or cough into his cup either.

Ormi took the last bites of his fruit that he selected earlier, that being virtually all available to him of course, and then smiled up at his Boss, who's update of her state-of-mind he asked for every morning, "How's youse feelin' today, huh Boss?"

"Just fine," Leblanc smiled back but frowned when he wasn't looking. She hadn't slept well because she stayed up thinking about Nooj.

Even after all the spheres she got for him, for free at that, and he didn't look at her beyond with strict professionalism, or ask her out on any dates. She made slight advances but they were quickly and almost expertly avoided. Why was he being so difficult? He could at least give her a little after helping him defeat a thing that threatened Spira and all. Now that was annoying! Nothing was harder than trying to just simply get noticed.

"Boss," Logos's tone was laced with the sounds of repetition, "You have heard what I've been saying haven't you?"

"What, love?" Leblanc turned around and threw her core at him to catch and dispose in the basket to the side of him, which he did with ease as he did every morning.

"You haven't heard anything from any of the Fem-Goons have you?" Logos cocked his head to the side a bit after the core fell from his palm into the basket. His cheek bones where tinged with heat as he continued, "Because as I was saying, it didn't end up like I planned, and well, she was rather upset last night and might -."

"She quit," Leblanc shook her head and sighed, "Way to go, love. Is that what you wanted to know?"

"My apologies," He looked at the ground. One thing he needed out of this thing he was going for was to not upset the Boss while he was at it, but he managed to set things up for just that. How perfect…

"It's no problem," Leblanc brought her hand up to sweep back the stiff blond strands that clung to her scalp. In all honesty, she wasn't too fond of the girls he selected in the first place, and wasn't too sad to see them leave. Especially since they all presented themselves in, well, a way that obviously got men looking and Logos obviously couldn't, and wouldn't, resist. They all usually were ranged from rich girls trying to get independence from parents they still lived with, or, putting bluntly, some sluts who lost their boyfriends after they were fed up with them. And she knew this for a fact because she interviewed them and heard all their sobs stories. Unlike some of the other goons, her most trusted two apart of them, who was reluctant to talk about themselves beyond simple ability and capacity, these girls just yacked on about what happened to them instead of trying to hide how desperate they were for the job like the other Goons and her own boys.

Leblanc couldn't decide whether she liked the 'share all' (though some information she rather not have learned) or the shut in and nod to questions she sometimes got. Either way, she didn't mind Logos dating some nit-wit he'd just split from in a couple of months after she had a ridiculous argument with him after realizing that he didn't like to smile or something even more stupid.

Wasn't it already obvious enough he didn't have a very 'happy' face? That didn't change the fact that he could be happy. For instance-

"Logos," Leblanc raised her head higher and pointed at the door in the back of the living room, the far left one, and flicked her wrist, "Go get that new gun and special ammo you made, I think it's time to try it out if anyone sticks their noses in our business."

He didn't smile, but his eyes did have a flash of something light, "Yes, Boss. It would be my pleasure."

If he ever started chasing the tails of anyone that actually _lived_ in the Chateau with them, then Leblanc was going to have a _long _talk with him and make sure he saw the whole picture. The girls under her direct wing were different then the whores he choose to consort with. But thankfully, he had enough sense to know not to hurt them and anyways, he seemed to have no desire to do so. In an off sense, that just showed he could respect _some_ woman but that didn't add up to much since only a handful actually lived with them to the ratio of males running around.

Leblanc watched her one underling go to the left door and enter, where in a room with a stove, he'd find the cooled bullets he molded and the new gun he finished tweaking a couple of nights before. He was happy, she could tell by the way he walked.

Live with someone long enough and you learn to read their body language like an open book in your hands that's written in elementary type. Just simple, if not natural.

Ormi shifted, stretched his beefy arms up into the air, before letting them flop down to his sides, "Hope Logos don' use that gun today."

"Oh? Why's that, love?" Leblanc leaned on her leg and waited for an answer.

Ormi smiled, "Cuz, he'd jus' forget about that broad last night and not even apologize like he should."

"Hmm," Leblanc couldn't feel sorry if that were to happen, in fact she felt she liked it better that way, "Well, that's up to him not us, love. Let what happen, happen, alright?"

"Yes, Boss," His bubbly face glowed with the same look that was on her face.

He knew Logos would find something to shoot at and all the things from the past four months would fly away with the single shot. Even if nothing bad happened to him, the trigger-happy gunslinger would find something to snipe.

And they didn't care if the bratty girl every got an apology.

* * *

><p>Leblanc hummed to herself as the oscillo-finder whirred with the new commands she tapped onto it's round surface. The nice map of Spira came up and the orange grid lines pulsed before going red in a few places and narrowing themselves and the computer produced a red triangle to mark sphere locations. She smiled and tapped a few more commands and the oscillo-finder clicked before printing coordinates and other information on paper.<p>

She passed it to Logos who stuffed it into his coat with a short nod.

The trio turned to the door to find two Al Bhed faces peeking through the circular metal opening in the wall.

"Daji, Taji," Leblanc blinked, surprised that they would sneak up on them, and the fact that the two were absent from their posts by the doors, her own and the front door.

"Boss," They smiled and snaked inside the door, "Could we come with you?"

"Not this time, loves," Leblanc shook her head and slashed a hand through the air, "You need to stay here."

Twins, both seventeen, and they were under her direct care from a interesting turn of events that involved picking up their orphan behinds in Luca, becoming attached, and ultimately adopting them.

And as twins, and her 'son's' indirectly, they pouted in unison, "~Please?"

Their green eyes grew in size and they tried a puppy dog look.

"Out of the way," Logos's hands grasped their cute faces and squeezed hard before pushing them out the door and to the side.

"Meanie!" Daji twirled his hips and stuck out his tongue as his brother, Taji, made a more obscene gesture.

Ormi's meaty hands crashed into the back of their heads, just enough force to bend them forward, before chuckling low in his throat and following the gunner up the ramp.

"Why can't we come?" Daji rubbed his blonde head and started to walk along side his Boss as Leblanc took her time in leaving.

"Because this mission won't need your help.," Leblanc said matter-of-factly before adding, "And we don't need to waste extra energy with it. It's too easy."

"Huh?" Taji hurried to catch up, and once he had, he looked at her with spiral green curiosity filling his eyes, "Why can't we come then?"

She needed to think, and a quiet as possible, small group might help with that. Thoughts of Nooj were already trailing back inside her head as she went out to get spheres, the only reasoning for doing so of course was for him. So it was impossible not to think about him. Her boys wouldn't say a word unless she talked to them first, they being able to read her moods, but the twins? They'd find something to yack about.

"Just stay here, loves."

She always called everyone that, but for some reason, she felt like she meant it with the two boys she left behind, a strange feeling of not seeing them again creeping up on her arms.

* * *

><p>It was common knowledge that he had a bit stronger taste for women then say, other men. He wasn't a pervert, well, maybe a bit, or a lot, but he respected woman who demanded respect.<p>

Like Leblanc.

She demanded respect and loyalty from him. In fact, she was the most tiring woman Logos had ever met and that said a lot since he had met quite a few of strong headed woman in his time as a solider. But none had outsmarted or overthrew him off of his masculine pride that he clung to with such stubbornness. He wasn't a strong man, with twig-like arms and sinewy muscle only in places necessary, but he had an excessive pride to make up for it. And Leblanc completely annihilated that from him.

Before he knew it, just days into the employment of being in the Leblanc Syndicate, he was wrapped around her gloved finger. If he didn't do just as she requested, she lashed out at him with rather impressive invectives and made him feel like a little boy. She deserved an applause for that feat because no other woman had managed that from him, except his mother when he actually was a little boy, and probably never would.

Maybe that was why he had these feelings. They were powerful and he actually, despite his large vocabulary, could never put words to them. There was desire, but it was laced with reverence and restraint. He swallowed every single time he got a little too imaginative with the Boss's muscled lithe body, her long blond eyelashes and spiky short hair…he actually loved short hair.

Long hair was too much of a pain on girls. Always with the 'Ow! You're on my hair!' and what not that got on his nerves because it could actually ruin a really intimate moment. Long nails too. Girlish nails were always nice to look at, and was just enough to remind one of the femininity the strong willed person possessed, but if it came to, well, to tumbling around in sheets in the late hours of the night, the red trails of blood up and down his back and sides was not something he enjoyed much. Leblanc took care of her nails, sometimes even painted them, but they were always cut short and well trimmed so that she would have no trouble with them in the gloves she wore or the missions she actively took part in.

Energy was something he also admired and Leblanc never seemed to run out of it. She just kept going, and going on and on with whatever she set her mind too. Never letting up.

"Would you boys stop your slacking and pick up the pace!" Leblanc cocked her hip to the side and frowned at them from under her crossed arms, "Noojie-woojie is going to want that sphere!"

"Yes Boss," The two members looked up miserably and answered just the same. Knee deep in Yevon know's what and she's telling them to hurry, unsurprisingly, she was quite the slave driver.

All for 'Noojie-Woojie'. Logos gagged, disguising it as disgust from the sludge they shifted through in the Thunderplains. It was raining and the mud they dug through could of easily been fiend waste for all they knew. The grayish green certainly was disheartening enough.

Leblanc refused to step foot in it, and Hell who could blame her. Logos knew that if he **had** a choice, he definitely wouldn't be doing this. But it would help if she stopped yelling.

"Come on Boys!" Leblanc looked up at the sky, "I think a thunder storm is coming."

"That's why they call it the _Thunder Plains_," Logos muttered under his breath as he displaced more mud but the sharp ears of his boss still caught it and he was rapped upside the head with her steel, and rather heavy, fan.

"Don't be a smart-ass, Logos!" She glared hard and then placed her hands on her cocked hips, "You know what I mean."

It wasn't a good idea to be out in the flat plains, open to getting struck and meeting your ends. She wanted out of the rain and out of the open and Logos wanted out of the knee deep…whatever it was.

"I's got it!" Ormi pulled up and a dull green, fitting for what it was in, sphere came up in his beefy palm.

"Good!" Leblanc nodded, "Let's go then!"

Ormi, with some struggle against the suction of the mud, pulled himself up onto land. Logos tried, and failed, and Ormi took up his arms in his hands and yanked him out with much cussing and hissing from the gunslinger.

"Shut up," Leblanc silenced the complaints with two words before taking the sphere from the gray mud and stalked off to find cover.

Like she predicted, a 'Thunder Storm' blew in, which was actually misleading since thunder never caused anyone but scared children harm and it actually was lightning to be reckoned with, and the three bodies rushed around looking for the shelter they required. However it was some time and the rain started to beat down on them in thick heavy droplets before they could find a place.

"Hey's! Didja know that guys are more likely than girls to get struck by lightning?" Ormi smiled, rain pelting his face, in satisfaction that he had a smart thing to say at the moment.

His partner took it with less enthusiasm however, "And you tell me this right now because?"

"I thought id be a good thing tah know," Ormi smile faded down into a pursed frown and he turned back to the task at hand: Finding something to shield against lightning.

"Over here boys!" Leblanc, hair dripping and clothes soggy, called them over to where she was under a sad looking pile of ruin. Part of an ancient dome, so gray it was almost black, provided a cover from the rain and lightning and a destroyed cracked wall would serve as a nice, though damp, backrest.

Leblanc shook her spikes, sending droplets loose from her hair and away, before settling down on the moist ground and pulling her knees up to her chest.

She let out a shuddering sigh as the feelings she had when she left the château finally left her arms. After all, they were safe now so what was the worst that was going to happen in a shelter that they couldn't handle with ease? Lightning was her element, but no one could control the Thunder Plains, so she did get a bit nervous every time she ventured out there.

Maybe it was just a control issue, after all she liked to be in control and hated it when she wasn't. The Thunder Plains, with it's sparks of lightning, couldn't be tamed completely though she controlled similar elements. It made her annoyed and she ran her hands through her hair as she felt more so with the wet that soaked her clothes.

Her loyal subordinates plopped beside her and the focused on waiting for the storm to pass.

"Uh? Boss?" Ormi watched as the drops got heavier and the ker-crash's started to shake the very earth. The lightning rods were rumored to be down again but of course, that news brought no comfort. As if to prove the rumors as fact, a few streaks of blue lightning struck the ground with burning force that made quick scorch marks and glass in some sandy mud. Though some did still hit the towers it didn't bring them enough confidence to wander out until someone in charge fixed it.

"What?" Leblanc flinched at another bolt that attacked the earth a little to close to her liking and blinked away the shivers and blindness. She briefly thought about how she should've brought the Al Bhed Goons with her so she could send them out to correct the problem at hand with the towers but at the same time she saw their blonde heads get struck also and was glad she didn't.

_No,_ she sighed,_ let other people's mechanics get struck. I need mine_.

"The storm ain't letting up at all an' I think we're stuck," Ormi raised up his eyebrows when Leblanc turned her face to look at him from her knees, "Jus' saying."

"I think so too," Leblanc looked drearily back at the storm, the wind howling past their alcove.

Logos put in his brilliant observation for their predicament, "We're going to be wet."

"Correction love," Leblanc let out a slow depressed breath, "We already are wet."

"Well, even more then," Logos scooted a bit forward and leaned back into the wall with his head in his hands, his elbows making sharp bends beside him, "We probably will be here all night by the looks of things."

"I am's pretty sure it's already night," Ormi squinted up at the steely sky, darker than earlier but perhaps that was from the storm itself.

Leblanc let her shoulders fall and stared out into the dismal scene of water falling off the side of dome in a thick waterfall, making a wall between her and the rest of the sad world outside.

The condition they were in was certainly not helping her mood any.

"G'nite, Boss," Ormi snuggled his big head into the back of his hand, which rested on the palm of his other, from where he laid on his side. His eyes were just drooping slits and she smiled into them.

"Good night Ormi," She shook her head as his eyes closed. Like a little brother, or maybe a cuddly bear, or maybe a gracious dog, Ormi never failed in being the brighter one out of all three of them.

Ormi had his eyes closed now but he, stifling a yawn, finished up his routine that he went through every time they slept on a mission away from home, "G'nite Logos."

"Peh," Logos shifted, his back to them both, and rested his head on only one palm as the other arm laid bent out in front of him.

His thin slanted eyes look other his shoulder to stare at Leblanc as she laid down on her side, facing Ormi as Logos's stare made her subconsciously reluctant to face him, and lay in a slight ball as her knees curled toward her body.

"Good night," Ormi yawned big and loud before finally drifting off to blast out the snores in minutes.

Strangely, despite Leblanc's excellent hearing while she was awake, she developed a resistance to the coarse rattles if not a complete immunity when she slept.

Leblanc once found herself ghosting over the thought about how that might be a bad thing since anything could sneak up on her now as she slept but she would just curl a little bit more and listen to the rattles of one friend and the light nasally breaths of the other. It made her feel secure enough to sleep with no worries with both of them at her side.

She drank in this nice feeling of having 'brothers' so to speak, because she knew it wouldn't last forever. Especially since she had every intention on being with Nooj and that would probably mean the end of her sphere-hunting career. And why would the boys come with her? After all, they were sphere hunters. They hunted spheres with the intention of getting them and **selling **them. Not just giving them away for free because they loved someone. She didn't own them, despite how she ordered them around, and she couldn't even think about asking them to come with her. They were their own persons.

Leblanc's thoughts pounded into her head as the sounds of the rain did on the dome and she couldn't stop the negative feelings with them.

_Nooj won't notice me if I just give him spheres and don't do anything else,_ Leblanc felt her chest heave a breath heavily and she stealthily scooted closer to Ormi's incredible warmth. _I need to think of something else._

Despite her looks, she was smart. And she knew in no time at all what she was going to do. But it required sacrifice, she bit her lip as she fully began to plan it out, and she knew the sacrifice wouldn't just be from her. Ormi snorted in his sleep and Logos mumbled something foul about the loud disruption it caused in his own sleep before they both went back to their dreams, whatever they may be.

Leblanc couldn't leave them hanging. They depended on her, like many of the Goons did. She had a basement full of people who looked up to her, needed her, respected her, and gave their complete trust and loyalty just to her. Leblanc felt the real weight of that honor now and she felt a dull pain in her chest.

She wasn't going to be there forever for them, and they were grown adults all in their own right, surely they expected this to happen some time or the other. She had the right to form her own life how she so choose it but she still had a responsibility to them.

She wasn't worried about the Syndicate itself, groups came and went sometimes, even the Gullwings went their own separate ways after defeating Vegnagun, but Leblanc was concerned about the people in it. The Gullwings must be still friends with each other right? The former High Summoner girl was back home, the thief was in Djose, the goth still in the ship and the little Al Bhed one, with the brain, was with Rin the last time she heard the snippets of gossip about them. The other two were on the ship too, but she couldn't be sure what their names were.

With all them spread out like that, Leblanc couldn't imagine them _all_ staying in touch with each other. Maybe one or two communicated with another, but all was working on their own lives or work, so maybe the Dullwings didn't even get that far.

More depression filled her chest as she looked at the slumbering face in front of her, who's belly she stuck her arms against to warm them. Life was surrounded by spheres now, nothing else. Her two loyal companions lives seemed to surround her own, minus Logos and his intrigues that weren't so secret. She couldn't just 'lose' contact with them. Even if a good life with Nooj was **promised**, she couldn't do it, and that' s not even thinking about the other goons who's dopey ways always got on her nerves but entertained her also.

She couldn't just drag them around through _her_ life. She didn't own them, she repeatedly reminded herself, and she had to make her own life at some point and them their own.

A horrible feeling passed through her veins. At one point in time, she really believed she did. And she felt horrible for it. They weren't her dogs or anything, though their blind loyalty could be compared to that. They were willing to do all that she asked of them, and with swiftness too, and they even would die for her as they almost proved in some close calls that nearly made her heart leap out her mouth. Not even their own interests came before her own as Logos could never be seen with his girlfriends and always with her or doing something for her instead. Maybe that's why none of them seemed to have lives of their own. Leblanc controlled their time, and she didn't put much thought or care to it. While they'd help her with her situation with Nooj at a drop of a hat of the opportunity arose.

She loved them all in an off-way, and she didn't want any harm to come to them as they didn't want any to come to her but she felt guilty. She controlled, the control freak she was, everything about them. And at first she didn't care or even notice. Had she actually believed she owned them?

She felt terrible and regretted having ever made them do all that for her. Logos and Ormi could've died on their trip with her through the FarPlane, and they were worse for wear upon coming back home. They protested against it, and did she listen? No, she loved Nooj. But she should've gone by herself if that was the case. They didn't need to risk their lives for something other than sphere hunting. They were sphere hunters, not some love struck woman trying to simply get noticed.

She needed to leave them. This was going nowhere and it was a waste there; her relationship with Nooj, the constant risking of their lives over things that they'd just give away for free, the sleep deprivation they had as she dragged them all around Spira. No, she couldn't ask them to do that anymore or come with her through her life.

But how could she just tell them? Flat out? Or with hints so they can see it coming when it does? Is a quick big hurt better than a slow little one?

Either way, it was going to hurt her a lot, but she was going to do it.

She was going to leave to see Nooj herself, by herself, and if what she thought to be was then she was going to leave the Leblanc Syndicate for good.

**Alright, those who have read (most) of my fanfic's will know these guys but just in case here is my O.C. Goons. If you are already familiar than just move right along : )**

**Taji: (Goon) an Al Bhed teen who has an a major attitude problem. He is always stuck with the job of guarding the front door, and major hobbies include pissing off Logos and anything to do with Machines. He's seventeen now, and he is determined to make sure his brother is taken care of at all times. Since coming to the Leblanc Syndicate, and legally getting adopted by the entire group, his distrust in them grew to complete trust and, though he doesn't admit it, he finds things he admires in his leaders, all three of them. **

**Daji: Taji's twin brother. He is also a known homosexual and gives Logos the 'jeebies' at times but also happens to be one of Leblanc's close goon friends and the only male in that close-knit group. He takes fashion advice from Leblanc and in his free time dresses like a male counterpart to her. His short blonde hair is even styled like hers. He also is the only goon Leblanc trusts to guard her bedroom door and they find him sleeping outside it at night.**

**Rouk: The only Dr. Goon that actually lives in the Château, he has long black hair that's admittedly graying and is not known for his smiles, but he does take care of everybody. It is this fact that he doesn't go live somewhere nearby in Guadosalem instead like the other's of his rank (despite their pay being drastically low for what they do) and he is the oldest, among all Goons, his rank and around, and even his leaders. He is like Logos in many ways, and they get along, but he isn't one for sympathy and constantly complains about "not getting paid enough."**

**Anomi: Another Al Bhed (though a female). She wears clunky goggles and has shoulder length blonde hair. She is often times teamed up with Ormi on missions and likes to think of herself in a higher position than she is though she's just a She-goon as her laid back attitude and constant laziness withhold any promotions from her. She was once a Fem-Goon but got quickly demoted after she suggested that Mara and herself take a hot spring bath instead of working one mission. She seemingly likes to hear herself speak as she hands out tid-bits of advice but sometimes, they're helpful advice. **

**Mara: a sweet Fem Goon who gives Leblanc her massages most of the time. She reminds Logos of Yuna and even sounds a lot like her, however she doesn't look like her as she has dark brown, boy short hair and a long hanging rectangle earring on one side. She was promoted recently from a She-goon to a Fem-goon by Leblanc herself because she rarely messes up unless the challenge is way over her head.**

**Nago: A Mr. Goon who is very by the book, if there was a book, and follows orders to the exact letter. Perhaps, it was this type of attitude that often got him teamed up with Logos, however despite his readiness to take and perform out orders, he cannot improvise well and often throws in dumb questions. He also has a weakness against girls because he is afraid to hit them. He has blue eyes and brown hair that is medium length. Nago is also know to be the 'pretty boy' and popular among the younger females. It should probably be best to mention that while most goons are either Former Yevonites who denounced their faith or Al Bhed angry at Cid, Nago is a twenty year old who actually wants to learn how to be a sphere hunter. **

**Erie: A rather depressing Fem-Goon, she has a pale face, a disheartening attitude, and a gloomy voice . If Anomi reminds Logos of Rikku, and Mara reminds him of Yuna then Erie is easily Paine. She doesn't like to admit it but she is very absentminded and forgets things very easily. She also is a klutz but doesn't admit defeat in whatever she messed up either. She has a platinum blonde hair and forest green eyes. **

**Zizi- A woman who often works with Erie. Because of Erie dropping a Floral Fallal, she was recently demoted to a She-Goon. She pulls out potions when they need help but for some reason, despite their tight outfits, she can pull out many other things too. She looks like the opposite of Erie, with dark tan skin, black hair split into two ponytail at the back of her neck, and tattoos on her legs. **

**Yamusu: Read Useless, no seriously, he was a goon that guarded the door with Taji. He had white hair and was a Yevonite (and was still religious) but couldn't return to Bevelle because he went AWOL on Operation Mi'ihen. He was quiet and spoke in whispers but was actually useful to the extent he was the middle ground for a lot of arguments. He was also the only one who could usually manage to keep Taji in line, he died in Useless and didn't have much more to his character than that. **


	2. Farewells and To Start Anew

"Chapter 2: Farewells and to Start Anew"

* * *

><p>"Noooooooooo!" Daji clenched his fists in front of him and shook his head from side to side, sending his tears off in flurries, "You can't leave! That's not fair!"<p>

"You're seventeen, Daji, you can take care of yourself," Leblanc tried not to look at the blubbering faces, but it was too hard. She cursed herself for rounding them up as they were about to go to bed. All had shed of their masks readying themselves for sleep, and she could clearly see their expressions because of that. She couldn't gather the courage until then but she wished she had done it sooner so she didn't have to see the hurt.

"I don't want to take care of myself I want to take care of you!" Daji wailed, his body kneeling on the floor as he seemingly just couldn't stand up on is own anymore, "I can't guard your bedroom unless you're in it!"

Leblanc snapped, "Well, you can't do that all your life, Daji!" before looking down at the tear covered face and furrowed eyebrows, and softening her tone, "Oh, love, don't make this hard."

Daji's lip trembled before he gripped her skirt, softly mumbling as his spiral green eyes quivered, "Please stay, Boss."

He had just made it harder.

"Let go of her Daji!" Taji gripped his brother's hair and yanked back. When he repressed his own feelings they often were vented out in wrong places. "And stop you're whining! We owe her too much already without you begging her!"

The words, despite the encouragement to let her leave, only rooted her feet to the ground more. Leblanc stared at the boys' faces. She adopted them both three years before, they were adults now but at the same time still kids. Leblanc felt a twinge of guilt for not letting them celebrate their seventeenth birthdays the way they wanted, with cake and a lot of ridiculous things, but swallowed it down as she refused to think about the eighteenth birthdays she'd miss.

Taji's green eyes quivered like his brother's and tears gathered but didn't slip from the inside and most outside corners. His face remained set on anger at his brother but his ever emotional and telling eyes betrayed what he was really feeling right now.

If you lived with someone long enough you can read them like a book, after all, no matter how they try to hide it.

She shouldn't have done this. Leblanc looked at the two of them together and knew, just knew, that they felt like they lost a mother, again, even if she never even dreamed of being that for them despite adopting them to make sure they're taken care of legally.

Mara looked at her just as sad, tears dripping down her cream colored face but no words escaping her lips, and only hope for happiness sent in looks towards her communicated how she felt. She was happy and sad all at once and that somehow hurt worse than just flat out crying like a baby like Daji did.

Anomi's, the She-Goon with a missing usual attitude, face flashed many emotions, her Al Bhed goggles hiding a few of them. First was outrage, then repressed outrage, than sadness, then deep, deep depression as she refused to look up at all.

Nago, the baby-faced Mr. Goon that always aspired to be a sphere hunter like her, stared open mouthed at Leblanc in surprise, than at Logos and Ormi, than back at the Boss, before his face closed up and his mouth plunged downward in equal amounts of melancholy as the rest.

Rouk, finally up from the infirmary and away from whatever Dr. Goon duties he managed to assign himself, leaned into the side of the secret passage way, shook his head, and looked the same as ever. A scowl that matched Logos's usual one on his face and his gray eyes lowering downward. However, a dull glint in his eye flashed behind his half-rectangular glasses before he turned down to the basement again and disappeared.

Zizi and Erie, polar opposite female Goons, looked at each other in horror, then took on their own expressions. Zizi looked lost and Erie was deep in thought, pulling in her blackened bottom lip to suck on it while she nervously added nips of her teeth, her eyebrows knitted together.

"Logos, Ormi, tell me this is just a joke!" Daji looked at them and sniffed in, snot already trailing under his nose, "It isn't happening right? Not like this!"

Logos looked away, his arms crossed so tightly around his chest that it made deep indentions in his coat, and Ormi looked up from his belly, his eyes big and hurting like a dog kicked by it's revered owner.

"No's. It is," Ormi couldn't help his voice cracking, "Daji, it's no big deal's, oh's 'kay?"

Daji blinked, tears rolling off of his eyelashes, "It is a big deal isn't it? We never found out what to do without you Boss!"

They never liked mentioning it, but it was impossible to not think about the future when the Boss continued to fall for the Meyvn, and of course it had come up in whispered discussions among the Goons. They usually brushed it off casually, though the worry choked them, thinking it wasn't happening anytime soon so they had plenty time to bring it up later. But it was happening, now, and they hadn't thought of what to do yet. They were unprepared.

Their faces showed their shock and unwillingly, their pain at having this moment come so soon. Logos stared away from her and Leblanc found herself wishing he'd turn to look at her.

"Logos is in charge," Leblanc surprised the gunner, not to mention the rest of the Goons, and even herself with her words. His head slowly looked up, his eyes widened, and stared straight at her. After a little time and a few false starts, he managed to spit out what he wanted to say, or at least one of the things.

"I can't," His chest rose with a shuddering breath, which he hid as he looked down again, "Boss, I couldn't possibly do what-"

"You'll do fine," Leblanc assured him, the others, and herself all in the same breath, "You do great by yourself on solo missions Logos, and you have no problem in telling the others what to do. I know you'll do fine here."

He did just fine keeping things going when she fell into a depression over Nooj. There'd be no problem in repeating that when she was gone. Leblanc tried to believe in that fully but had doubts as he kept staring at her like it was impossible. She shook her head, He'll do fine.

"Boss, I'm not a leader, not a real one," Logos shook his head, "I couldn't, no can't- possibly-"

"He can't lead us!" Taji screamed and pointed at the second-in-command-soon-to-be-leader-of-them-all, "He doesn't even like Al Bheds!"

Leblanc sighed, "Would you stop accusing him of things he's already gotten over?"

"Taji shut up!" Anomi punched the side of his head, causing him to double over, before quickly turning to Leblanc, quickly speaking as if she was worried that if she didn't say it fast, she wouldn't be able to say it at all. "We'll be okay Boss. Don't you worry."

"No!" Taji clenched his teeth as his hands clutched the back of his neck, "You can't go Boss! I don't want to lose you!"

Leblanc felt her blood turn a bit cold and she swore she could feel her heart stop beating. She found herself sickeningly thinking, All the better I guess if it did for a little bit… the soreness in her chest could do for a small bit of rest with the way this farewell was going.

"I'm sorry, Taji, but I have to do this," Leblanc found herself bending down to touch his hunched back. He flinched at her touch and whined a little as a light pain filled his chest too.

His Al Bhed deep green eyes looked up at her, "But-"

He felt like he was losing a parent, a part of him that he finally grasped for him and his brother just years ago, was slipping from his incompetent to keep it together, hands. Leblanc read it in his expression and smiled like a mother would when she left her child.

"No buts," Leblanc patted his head awkwardly, not knowing what else to do with her hands, and managed a weak smile, "And listen to Logos will you?"

"Fine," Taji growled under his breath and looked away from her.

"And that goes for all of you, got it?" She looked up and returned to her strong authoritative tone she had lost not minutes before.

"Yes, Boss," They all habitually piped up, even Taji, but their voices were all weighted down and heavy when they did.

"Goodbye," She swallowed her tears, not showing in her eyes yet but hurting oh so badly behind her face. If she'd been as close to them as they to her, than this good-bye wasn't easy to start with. To make it quick might be merciful in this situation so she said nothing more.

She took one last look at all the streamy faces before nodding lightly and standing up. The two bags she had packed was all ready and waiting for her at the front door. Now, she tried to find the strength enough to get her legs to move.

The other goons, sensing the real weight of the farewell, started to drift of ghostlike down the passageway, over to the sides of the room or back through the two doors in the back. Leblanc sighed heavily as she listened to their shuffling feet against the carpet before looking up at those left.

Logos and Ormi, like they always had been, stayed beyond what was expected of them.

Ormi shifted his great weight from one foot to the other and kept sniffling while Logos looked down over his crossed arms at the floor. Her heart, back alive again, took another plunge but she stopped it in the pit of her stomach.

"I'll miss you boys," She smiled again.

Ormi lightly smiled back and stuck out his hand. Leblanc, her spirit and smile rising, took it and he pumped his arm in a handshake.

"Be safe, Boss," Ormi's eyebrows curved upwards and big round tears fell down his puffy cheeks, "Uhm," He swiped them with his other hand before looking back at her with a dry face and enthusiastic smile, "Youse know's we'll be right here if ya ever need us. So's-…don't be afraid's to call on us if youse are ever in a pinch, or someone makes youse mad, or makes youse sad or even if youse are just lonely! Youse can-"

"Good heaven's Ormi, she get's it," Logos snapped before uneasily trailing his gaze over the buff arm and thick hand to the slender one cupped in the large warm palm. He stopped there for a moment, swallowed painfully, before looking into the golden brown eyes that stared into him.

He coughed and lowered his eyes to the floor, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well, erm, goodbye then…"

"Goodbye," Leblanc echoed and turned to leave, finding it harder and harder to leave the more she stayed.

The door slammed behind her and Logos felt his chest tighten. He patted his chest, coughing, but it didn't help.

Ormi's round pupils looked at him and his chubby face fell, "Logos are youse crying?"

The gunner didn't answer but kept staring at the door, something pooling in his pinched eyelids.

Rouk materialized from the basement again, knowing the sappy goodbyes were over and done now with all the crestfallen Goons walking zombie-like downstairs, and placed himself beside Logos to stare at his face and follow his line of vision to the door.

"If you want to stop her-" Rouk's crackly voice began and he held out his bent arm to point at the door, "Than do it, gunslinger."

"I can't," Logos shook his head in dismay and his gaze, hesitantly, broke from the door, "It's not my right to-"

"The Hell it isn't!" Rouk's voice hissed and he swung back his arm to throw a punch into the gunner's exposed side as it was open from his crossed arms, "You are in love with her aren't you?"

Just as his luck, the other goons had followed the up the ramp, almost sensing a heartwarming scene approaching, but receiving a pissed off old man pointing at a slightly confused Logos instead. The girls specifically covered their mouths as the goon, short compared to the towering size of their now 'Boss', shouted off foul words as he ranted on about Logos's 'idiocy' and about 'once in a lifetime chances' and of course mentioning about Logos's recent habit of taking girls to his room and how *someone* they knew would be much more worth his time if he treated her right.

Logos blinked one last time as the old man, huffing with the energy it took out of him, settled down to a glare than a sharp finger pointing out the door.

"Well, if you want to stop her, than do it now! You're going to miss your chance, Squinty!"

"Tha-" Logos looked at the door with wide eyes and then back at the Goon. He took notice in the audience that, in two days time, had once again managed to witness an embarrassing scene in his life. With a smirk on his lips and his eyes half-lidding, Logos turned back to Rouk's crinkled face, "For an old man, you sure have a big mouth."

"All the better to get youngster's asses moving," Rouk leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, still struggling to catch his breath from the yelling he had just done. He gasped then added in a heavy rasp, "So get moving."

Logos raised one of his slick dark eyebrows, "As the current leader now, don't you think you should show a little respect and at least not tell me what to do?"

"I ain't planning on you being the leader for long," Rouk gestured towards the door, "Now what are you waiting for? The sky to fall?"

Logos gave one last glance at the bit of Goons and Ormi behind him, all giving him the 'go-head' in their own individual ways in the split second he scanned over them: Anomi nodding and nudging the space in front of her, Mara's eyes sparkling with tears and covering her smiling mouth like it was some over sentimental love film she was seeing and not real life, Taji and Daji gave high-fives to each other before giving him fist pumps, Nago nodded like most men do when they approved of something their 'buddies' did, Zizi and Erie tilted on their hips behind them all and simply smiled, not to mention the other stragglers of goons that sent over their approving head-shakes.

Logos stared at Ormi, waiting for some sort of sign from him as the other's had. Ormi raised up his thumb and bobbed his head with a broad grin.

Logos turned, and none to gracefully, left at what would simply be called a dead run.

* * *

><p>"Boss!"<p>

Guado that had returned from the woods and travelers looked at him with slight curiosity as he weaved through them and tried to spot a familiar hot-pink form.

_Yevon, tell me she walked slowly, _Logos's eyebrows arched upward as he could not make out anything familiar. His breath hitched as he pushed through the crowd, "Boss!"

Leblanc heard his voice before she saw him, and when she did she immediately tensed up.

"Logos, what's wrong?" She leaned forward as he stopped in front of her, bent over his knees as he attempted to breathe.

"N-n-" He raised up his index finger and took a large bite of air before lowering it, "Nothing Boss."

"Oh?" She looked from side to side, noticing the stares she was getting, "Then, what is it?"

"Boss," He stood straight and she could see sweat dappled his face, "Boss, I erm, you-"

"Yes, love?" Leblanc stared straight into his face as his high cheek bones tinged pink.

His palm flew up and covered her face from his view, not touching her but still blocking.

"Boss, don't look at me or I can't say it," He, despite what he just said, spaced his fingers out and looked between them at her face, slightly pulled up in confusion. His eyes drooped a little and he took in a slow breath through his nose before any noise escaped from his lips.

"Boss, I-you should know that I," He choked a bit on his own words.

"Logos, I have to go," She knew that she had wasted a lot of time with that hard good-bye, and this one wasn't any easier, but she had a hover round and a lonely trip over the Moonflow on a Shoopuf by herself to catch. She didn't have time, though she'd love to, to say a long farewell to one of her friends, and her second in command.

"No, wait," His voice cracked a bit and, seemingly surprised at himself as she was, looked to the side and he pulled at the throat of the tight hood around his head, "Erm, Boss, I want to say, what I want to say is-"

"Yes?" Her chest grew lighter and she leaned forward, not sure what she was expecting or hoping for but waiting for it in anticipation none the less.

"I-" His face opened up in a way she never seen before. His lean face seemed to grow softer, if that was physically possible, and his foreign looking eyes opened and deepened until she could clearly see the dusky brown insides. They surprisingly appeared warm, despite his usual disposition, and it made her uneasy as they stared intensely and directly into her own golden brown orbs.

A silence passed for a bit before he looked down again, his face closing up as fast as it had opened.

"Damnit!" He hissed, "This isn't how I'm supposed to say it!"

"What is?" Leblanc let out breath she held in but quickly suck it back in again as she leaned back from where he leaned forward, closer. His hand reached for her wrist and grasped it tightly, a dull pain springing up from how hard he clenched, and she looked down at it before looking back up into the face that was inches from her own, breathless, "Logos?"

"Boss, don't-" He started but was overcame again as emotions gripped his throat. He gritted his teeth and angrily looked inwardly at himself before looking back up at his Boss, starting again softly, "Boss please don't-"

"Logos, I'm going to go now, I'm sorry," She wrenched her wrist free, her heart once again feeling the plunge downward as her hand made its way in the same direction to her side.

"I'm sorry." Leblanc repeated herself as she turned around and ran, tears that she didn't want the gunner to see falling down her face.

Why did she start crying? Why right then? Was it something in his face or something else?

She couldn't think of why but she was so confused and muddled that she probably couldn't even tell someone where she was born. She ran past the people, one hand carrying her one bag of her belongings she deemed worthy of taking, accidentally leaving the other one where she dropped it by Logos. Her feet pounded along with her heart and her ears burned with a sensation that bit evilly into it. She was blind to around her and numbly pushed her way past people before stopping as her throat screamed pain.

She looked over her shoulder, her breath coming hard to her surprise, and her senses returned to her. She found that she had ran a good distance without even really acknowledging it, and waited to see something. But the something never came…

Nooj was expecting her, she had already sent a message ahead of her, and as was like him with his professionalism, he had sent someone to lead her through the road that would help her ward off the fiends. She didn't mention she had a charm bangle, a collaboration gift from the Goons, her two ever loyal lackeys, and even herself, as they added more charms to it every time they found a new one. It could ward off every fiend known to man now, but the gesture of sending the young Yaibal down was much appreciated, especially how things were making her feel that day so far anyways.

She had caught her ride, made it there in no time at all considering, but it might have been because she walked through the night after getting off the hover on the Mi'ihen. She found that she was to unsettled to sleep, so to ease her tensions, continued to walk until surprisingly, in the early light of the morning, she came upon Mushroom Rock Road.

Apparently Nooj prepares early as Yaibal, though surprised at her early arrival, was already there to greet her before she came upon the innards of the road.

"I'm here to escort you along the way!" Yaibal saluted by bringing his fist up to his chest and standing straight, unlike the goons who bent a little and brought a sideways palm up to their head in a dopey like manner.

"Thank you, love," Leblanc managed to keep her voice level and the same as always. She took time to calm herself down on the long walk over, even though she was tempted to turn around more than once and kept checking behind her back for someone that wasn't there, but now she was confident again. She made her choice, no one, of course, was dead from her decision, and if all went according to her plan than she'd have the life she always wanted from it. She could only feel a dull ache in her chest but a fluttering feeling in her stomach overcame all that as Leblanc allowed herself to be led closer and closer to Nooj.

"Right this way," Yaibal saluted again as they made it to the second lift, the one that would take them to the elevator and moved out of the way to let her step on first. She waited at the top, surprised to see six people at the top already waiting too, and Yaibal quickly followed after.

"The Meyvn Nooj is expecting you," The red headed Lucil stood straighter and, though not moving, directed Leblanc to the elevator with her mere aura. Elma, her black stringy hair hanging out from her red fabric bandana, stepped forward and drew closer to Leblanc to whisper in her ear.

"So are you really thinking about joining the Youth League?"

The only one to have known that would've been Nooj. Or maybe whoever passed the message along the way. That's probably who told as Leblanc couldn't see Nooj discussing it with anyone unless it was confirmed.

"Yes," Leblanc smiled weakly, "If Nooj will let me."

"Oh, I'm sure he will, we're always starving for members!" Elma replied cheerfully and closed her eyes until they were black semi-circles. "It'll be great to have ya!"

"Oh," Leblanc couldn't control herself from leaning away a bit. She was used to hyper active people, living with a few Al Bheds and all, but a some what stranger getting in her personal bubble was something she detested and a hyper active stranger just made it more uncomfortable.

"Elma," Lucil seemed to be scolding her underling, "You should mind other people's personal spaces." Her tone was kind enough but held a firm lilt that demanded that Elma listen to the irrefutable 'suggestion.'

"Oh, sorry," Elma smiled good-naturedly and back away before folding her hands neatly in front of her body, "But seriously, it'll be nice to have a new member that can actually do something!"

Though many people in Spira forgot what Leblanc could do, the Youth League never did. After all, it was her and her boys that often came over to help with the fiend problem they had every so often with the road. They also knew the spheres she obtained for Nooj was no easy task and by no means safe. So, Leblanc never found herself annoyed at their lack of respect toward her at the Youth League, only aiding in her thoughts that she could be happy enough here with Nooj.

"Thank you," Leblanc found herself smiling again, only a bit stronger. She got onto the elevator and the seven other Youth Leaguers stepped on swiftly after her.

The elevator clanked mechanically as Yaibal pulled the lever down to activate it and the whirring of the gears grinded in all of their ears as it noisily made its way up to the Youth League Headquarters. The elevator clicked into place at the very top and the sound of the machinery echoed and died into the rocks that gave the road its namesake.

The three other strangers, one little girl, a lanky man, and a more bigger built man, stood behind her and waited as first Lucil, then Leblanc, then Elma and Yaibal stepped off of the machine before getting off themselves.

"This way," Lucil directed, " The Meyvn Nooj is in a meeting but may be finished now if not soon."

"That's alright," Leblanc let out a quick gust of breath. She was nervous; Nervous that Nooj wouldn't let her stay, or if he did, would he accept her feelings and all this be worthless to the heartache it caused.

"Miss Leblanc," Yaibal scurried quickly in front before spinning around on his heels and saluting.

"Yes?"

"May I ask a question?" Yaibal lowered his arm and leaned forward as Leblanc faintly nodded, "If you join the Youth League, does that mean we won't receive spheres anymore from the Leblanc Syndicate?"

"That depends," Leblanc sighed and her shoulders drooped, "You should have someone talk to Logos."

"Logos?" He tilted his head a bit before coughing into his hand. His eyes kept darting up at her and she realized he didn't know that the tall man behind her all those times was named Logos.

"One of the boys that followed me everywhere," Leblanc lifted her arm in the air and held her palm flat down, "The tall one?"

"Oh," Yaibal nodded in understanding, "He and I have talked before. He's rather…"

"Withdrawn?" Leblanc lifted her eyebrow as she let her arm fall back to her side, smacking into her canvas bag as she did so. Most people's impressions of his scowling face at first sight was along the lines of 'anti-social', 'disagreeable' and most the time 'withdrawn' was thrown in as a more polite wording for what they deduced about him.

"No, more of intelligent," Yaibal took a forefinger and tapped his temple. The young man went on to saying, "Though he was…very opinionated. He seemed to be set permanently on all his beliefs, which is a good thing I guess for some people. His views seemed to conflict with the rest of Spira's but that doesn't mean he wasn't intelligent like he presented himself to be."

She let a small laugh escape her throat and she nodded, "I can see that." It was obvious the young man didn't like her underling, though no surprise to her as he was right that Logos's views conflicted with everyone else's in the world. She had concluded that herself when she very first interviewed him when he asked, determined not to seem desperate or begging though he was in a situation to start, for the job.

She wasn't at first sure she liked his views, against Yevon but wanting nothing to do with helping Spira's improvement like everyone else did bit by bit. He was set to mind his own business and simply wanted to continue to 'live'. He also didn't want to make a big name for himself and wanted to lay low for some reason. Leblanc agreed to have him join, promoting him steadily as he proved to be very useful, and continued to not address him to much in the open as he still liked being in the 'background' despite his pride he had. A contradiction that confused a lot of people is what he was, but once you got passed that he was just simple and like everyone else.

"So I assume Logos is the new leader for your group?" Yaibal's mouth turned to the side a bit, "Do you think that he'd continue trading spheres with us?"

"I can't be sure," Leblanc mirrored the young man's face. Logos never seemed to be 'overjoyed' at going to the Youth League Headquarters unless he brought a new 'toy' with him. And even then it was a more of an evil happiness instead of a pure one. It was uncertain if he'd want to keep up trade with them, and even more unsure if he'd do it for free like she had done in the past.

Yaibal's smile returned to his face, "I hope you do join though."

Amused, Leblanc lifted a corner of her small mouth, "Oh? Why would you say that, love?"

"You're black magic is impressive!" Yaibal, with his obsequious voice, continued to flatter her by adding, "And I've seen you cast guards on your two men when you helped with the fiends! That would be a useful skill to have around. I'm sure with your skills and the Meyvn Nooj's leadership, putting Spira back on the right track would be a much less daunting task."

"Yes, I guess it would be," Leblanc's eyes, a slight glint in them from being complemented so, caught and held movement behind Yaibal. It was Lucil and Elma coming back from the main tent and the first woman stood straight and folded her arms in front of her as the second tilted on her hips and cupped her hands together.

"The Meyvn would be honored if you would join." Lucil smiled a bit before dismissing herself as she had other duties to tend to in the early morning hours.

Leblanc smiled brightly, even though she'd rather had delivered the request herself if it wasn't for the young man standing before of her, but that little fact couldn't stop the joy filling up her gut.

Elma stepped forward and lifted it a ceremonial arm toward a certain tent to the side, "Come this way, Miss Leblanc, and we'll set you up with a whole new outfit."

"After that," Yaibal nodded and beamed with the pure thrill of having a new, and very strong, member, "We'll get you your own tent to put your belongings in."

"That-" Leblanc felt a weight, a heavy one known as change, settle on her head and she couldn't decide if the pressure in her stomach was from happiness at being a step closer to Nooj, or guilt at being a step farther from her Goons, "Would be nice." She finished, a smile on her lips.

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><p>"I don't have to listen to you!" Taji crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at the towering weight over him, "You're not the friggin' Boss of me!"<p>

"That may have worked in the past, you little sand blasted nit-wit," Logos narrowed his eyes dangerously, "But now it doesn't because I actually am indeed the boss of you. So go put the boxes in the storage room immediately before I start popping lead into you for wasting my time."

"You don't scare me, Squinty!" Taji reared up a bit before sinking down into his shoulders as the gunner actually yanked his guns up from behind him, "Hey! Don't be like that!"

"One," Logos started counting, though he didn't specify as to when he'd stop. For all the Al Bhed teen knew, he'd start pulling the trigger at 'two'.

With that thought in mind, Taji flinched and turned around, "Fine! I'll do it!"

"Great job, Logos," Ormi leaned into the wall and frowned deeply, "Youse doin a great job threatening everybody."

"As if I haven't threaten him before when he cop's an attitude," Logos put his guns away before sweeping his weight to the side, "And for your information, I haven't threatened anyone today beyond what you just saw. But of course, you wouldn't know that as you were in your room the whole day."

Ormi put his hands on his wide hips and lifted his chest up with a puff of air, "I's told youse it was a cold."

"And you're better now, I presume?" Logos looked over his pinched eyelids at the sturdy built cry-baby as that was the real reason he didn't come out of his room.

"Youse loved the Boss too!" Ormi shouted before pointing a thick finger at the gunslinger's lean chest, "Youse shoulda brought her back like youse were supposed too! I can' believe's youse messed up that!"

"Too-?" Logos leaned back a little under the rough poke the warrior sent him. His slim hand lifted up and pushed the chubby one aside before narrowing his eyes again, "Don't tell me you-."

"Not in the same way's youse did," Ormi informed him with a steady stare to prove the words he spoke as fact, "She was important but I don' wanna 'get' with her or anything like that. She's like family an' I's was countin' on youse to get her back."

"Important, that was it?" Logos scoffed, "Well, she was even more than that for me and I'm having a Hell of a time with it if you don't mind!"

"Well, why's did youse let her get away then?" Ormi sucked in a big breath of air and swelled out his round cheeks, "Youse shoulda brought her back like youse was supposed to!"

"I didn't see you do anything!" Logos crossed his arms over his chest heatedly before tilting his hips to the side as he glared at non-existent specks on his shoulder, "Besides, you lummox, she's has her own mind and can think on her own."

"Yeah, I's know's that," Ormi's cheek twitched at the insult toward him before pulling up his bottom lip a bit, "You don' have to tell's me. But doesn't it jus' piss you off?"

"What?" Logos snapped his head back to the round cross face, "Do please indulge me on what you think, Ormi."

He leaned back, his great big belly sticking forward a bit as he took in his friend's posture, facial expression, and even aura. He smiled broadly as Logos impatiently tapped his gloved finger against his skinny upper arm for him to speak what was going on in his dense head.

"I think youse gave's up without a fight, that's what I think." Ormi's face leveled, neither raising up or falling down into emotions and he almost seemed emotionless, unlike Logos whose face was twisted into ugly emotions the whole day. With his straight face, Ormi raised up his chin a bit to look directly at the tightly pinched eyes that searched him for any answers that he himself didn't know he wanted to have.

"It pisses youse off, don' it?" Ormi continued with a rather calm voice despite how he was often the more extreme emotionalist. "It pisses youse off how she ran off to the Meyvn Nooj guy instead of stickin' 'round with us. Well, it pisses me off how youse chickened out on gettin' her's back."

"Is that right?" Logos sneered down at the pure black eyes, lacking in pupil and boundaries between the iris and the center, "Well, as I've said you didn't do much of anything at all. Don't expect me to fix everything because I can't."

"The rest of us can't do it for youse, Logos," Ormi crossed his arms firmly over his chest.

"Can't do what for me?" Logos, completely exasperated, lowered his voice and leaned forward into the wide face that challenged him.

"We's can't be the hero, Logos."

"Hero?" The gunner leaned away and cruelly laughed at himself and the words, "Ridiculous! I've never been a hero anymore than I've been a proficient leader. It's ludicrous to think I could pull something like that off."

"Youse took off like one," Ormi looked down the hall and spotted the army green and the pink and yellow heads that peered from around the corner only to shrink back from his eyes. Ignoring them he glared "We's figured youse would at least do a easy thing like bringing her back. Youse did it once."

"And it was no easy task!" Logos hissed, "You can't expect me to do it all the time!"

"Hero's do," Ormi retorted like it was common knowledge, "So why's couldn't youse?"

Logos sighed, "Ormi, I'm not fit to be a hero."

Ormi's voice dropped to where it could only be heard as a deep, low, grumble, "Youse love her don't youse?"

"What type of question is that?" Logos leaned away and relaxed his muscles that had tensed up, almost ready for a fight, "Of course I do. Why else would I-?"

"Did youse tell her that?" Ormi looked at him disapprovingly when he did not answer, knowing the answer in that. "Youse shoulda told her."

"And then what?" Logos looked to the side, anger leaving him slowly and a sick kind of despair replacing it, "It wouldn't change anything unless she felt the same way. And if she did, then why would she be falling for Nooj? Ormi, being realistic, my feelings for her wouldn't change her feelings for that man anymore than some confession to me from someone else would change my feeling for her. It's one-sided my friend and I'm on the dismal side."

"Youse of gotten it out a least," Ormi heavily set a hand on Logos's shoulder and dragged him down a bit, "Youse look like youse got a monkey on your back."

The corner of Logos's mouth edged upwards, forgetting his worries as it was completely hopeless to worry about one-sided love any longer when it was over, "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You look sick man, like real sick," Ormi, with his free hand, pinched the bridge of Logos's nose painfully causing the taller one to lurch up with a curse. The gunner backed away, holding the hurt between his fingers, and shot up a glare.

"What the Hell?" Logos felt the burn of pain in his face from the powerful grip that had just seconds threatened to crush his nose, "What was that for?"

"What coulda youse have lost if ya said something, huh?" Ormi replaced his hands on his hips, "She'd of left anyways by what youse saying. Or by what Im's thinking she'd of stayed! She was going anyways, and probably ain't gonna talk to us no more, so what woulda been the worse to happen if ya jus' went out an' said it?"

"And you're the expert on relationships?" Logos rubbed his nose and sniffed in, "Hmm? You haven't had one in how long?"

"What does that matter?" Ormi shook his great head, "Look, I's can see it clearly an' youse got to admit I'm making sense."

"If you love her too then why don't you do it?" Logos's voice formed an edge, "Well? Maybe your little full-love-but-not-in-a-relationship-way would've swayed her mind just as much as my already complicated-without-your-help emotions would have by themselves?"

"Cuz' I like both of youse. that's why's I didn't say nothin'!" Ormi frowned, "Youse don' think youse the only one that wan'z youse and the boss to get together? We's all want that for youse guys!"

The words struck a cord and Logos clamped his mouth from any more fiery comebacks.

"Youse my buddy, an' I want's the Boss to be happy, see?" Ormi shrugged a little, "Don' youse get it, Logos?"

Usual the last phrase annoyed him, as he did hate when he couldn't understand something to the fullest, but he didn't feel the irk on his feelings like he usually did. Instead he nodded a bit, "Yes, now I get it."

"If youse are gonna git with the Boss then youse had to say somethin' not me," Ormi finished explaining what the gunner already knew, "But youse didn't even do that. How hard izzit to say three words?"

Logos let out a dry chuckle, "Harder than you think, especially for me."

"Well, get over it," Ormi put his hands back on his wide set hips, "Cuz I's ain't gonna let youse get away with that nosing around the issue stuff again!"

"Fine," Logos moved his hands beside his head, palms out, and gave his wrists a little shake, "I admit I did half-ass the little confession, but what can I do now?"

"What woulda hero do, Logos?"


	3. Heros and Heroines

**A/N: Man, I hope this is gets a lot of reviews. I worked hard on it.**

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><p>"Chapter Three: Heroes and Heroines"<p>

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><p>A hero.<p>

What was that anyways? It wasn't something one could claim so easily without seeming arrogant or foolish. If someone managed to become a 'hero' would they be that way even if they lost? Lost what exactly? Pride, or a battle? Both? Is a 'hero' simply someone that rescues someone else from an unsavory and untimely end? Or is it someone that everyone looks up too? Or both yet again? Are they natural leaders, someone everyone likes?

Logos wasn't a hero. He already knew that.

The Goons looked up to him, though he'd prefer it if they didn't, because he couldn't always win for them. He could barely manage to rescue himself half the time, much less them if they needed him. He was admittedly a bit smug and was confident in his skills, the ones he had, but he still couldn't be a leader. Not for a team not for a group, just couldn't be a leader. He just never was the leading type. He was barely liked by many people, but he was a great supporting man in many operations, so second in command he could handle, only having to worry about pleasing one instead of everyone.

There was several more important reasons why he couldn't be a leader or a proper hero. He led Omri into many fights and skirmishes but more often times than not, those encounters turned out to be a rather ugly because of his so-called 'leadership.' Ormi didn't like hurting things while Logos almost took a sick enjoyment of it. He couldn't think of other's feelings and preferences when his own was screaming at him. That was so unlike a hero and a terrible trait for a good leader.

He had seen Goons die before because he failed to act beyond himself. Comrades that could handle themselves suited him well as he didn't have to worry about them, but those weaker than himself? He always had to worry about them and he could never manage to really help them.

A hero was someone that could help everybody. A hero wasn't someone that would lay off any Goons that didn't desperately need the job. Logos looked at the books that kept the transactions of the business only to find that there was a great amount of gil the Boss had _somewhere_ but no where for him to access. And beside his own humble pay from her and basement room, she gave nothing of value to him to pay the wages. His own possessions were worthless to anyone but himself and he had no other way to pay up.

So his first action as their humble leader was firing all those who could do without the job. Which of course made **him** seem like a total A-grade asshole.

As for the Goons living in the chateau? They stayed without any question. They couldn't afford their own housing, that's why they were there living in a damp basement to begin with, and he would be absolutely damned if he let himself be the cause of someone else being homeless. He'd been down that little grubby forsaken road, and he'd hate to allow anyone on it.

"A hero," Logos scoffed down at the sphere oscillo-finder, the so called 'title' that had been given to him by his robust friend exactly nine days before seemed more idiotic now that he started to mull over it. The lights danced on his face as the oscillo finder clicked and whirred bringing him back to attention.

_What was that sir?_ Nago, a red triangle in the swards of grassland in the Calm Lands, seemed to stop in his movement to inquire about what he thought he heard over the radio.

"Nothing," Logos tapped the round surface and it zoomed in on the triangle then rushed ahead, orange lines straight over the imaginary turf as a view of a blinking circle came into view.

"Abbbooout-" He hummed a little in his throat, calculating, before sending a picture and distance estimations to Nago via the 'H.E.A.R.T.'

H.E.A.R.T. was an invention, or rather reinvention, of the little Al Bhed Gullwings' Commsphere. A while ago, perhaps a year, the Gullwings set up a Commsphere out in front of the Guado bridge before the mess with Vegnagun really heated up. Taji, guarding the door, resisted touching the shiny mechanism in front of his face for as long as his sticky Al Bhed fingers could before he disconnected it himself and slipped away with his prize in his hands. He studied it, admired it, complimented it, then annihilated it with a screwdriver. He downsized it, re shaped it, tested it, exploded it in one mishap, started over, then finally came to the invention in Nago's hand.

H.E.A.R.T. stood for Holographic Echo And Receivable Telecommunictor. As the name suggests it was the gadget that could send holographic images from the oscillo-finder to the person on the sphere hunting mission and send back images from the H.E.A.R.T. apparatus if any problems arose. Echo stood for the function it had in using a form of echo location in dark caves to produce a glowing picture on the H.E.A.R.T. screen of where and what was in front, side, and behind the H.E.A.R.T. device. It even had a body heat sensor and the detailed shape of what may be a fiend or person around the individual so holding the contraption. AND was easy enough to understand, and Logos just figured Taji was determined to spell out heart with it. While, Receivable was within itself was also easy to comprehend. It could receive whatever information was sent its way: calculations, written messages, data on legendary guard beasts, or even what they were having for dinner that night as Logos, or rather the 'Boss', had the option of adding extra info and sending it through the H.E.A.R.T system. Telecommunictor was also easy to understand as one worked at the main computer, that being the oscillo-finder, and communication was set visually and in the written sense. Vocal was still being sent through the radio and ear-mouth sets as the video with sound and optics, another function on H.E.A.R.T. that Taji tried to add, lagged horribly and couldn't suit their needs.

Leblanc had yet to try it out as there was yet a great time to test it in the field. Logos figured it was high time to do so and was pleased with the results as the job of relaying data just got easier.

Logos contented himself with work as he tried not to think about anything else but what he was directly responsible for right now. Ormi, the huge pest, kept trying to prick his mind with thoughts that he'd rather shut off completely.

"-Two hundred feet at a 76 degree angle from where you stand," Logos finished sending the map cutout through H.E.A.R.T. and sighed a little as Nago chimed, "~Got it, L-man!"

Nago, the Mr. Goon in charge of leading the little expedition of retrieving this particular sphere, held the H.E.A.R.T. apparatus tightly in his hand. Blue, cold, round and fitting inside his palm, he saw the digits come up on the small screen, verifying what the 'Boss' had sent through, and then he saw the image change to a map and that angled into a 3-D image as it showed five feet down into the earth.

"We'll have to dig a bit," Nago nodded and then turned behind him to look at the Goons of different ranks, so long as it was not above his own, and gave a sharp order to move forward.

There were six H.E.A.R.T. s, only two sitting beside Logos back in the storage room on a crate. Taji sat in the niche he found up above in the loft like railing that ran along the sides of the room. More junk, or what was claimed to be junk, was locked up in boxes, old bags, and chests in the 'loft' and Taji made himself comfortable with them as he shaped more round sky blue H.E.A.R.T.s.

If Leblanc could see how they slaved away now then she might've been impressed. In the last nine days, there sphere treasury had tripled, and they already had sold three rare spheres to some high-paying customers. And they still went on to work on more.

Daji walked in with a tired look and coffee in his hand. He had never been one for drinking the liquid, as it was too bitter to him even sweetened, and too strongly made at Château Leblanc because of sleep deprivation being so common, but it turned out the cup was not for him.

"Here you go Logos," Daji held it out, "Coffee, burning hot like you like it."

Logos scanned over the new data coming in, then reached for it without looking. Daji handed the cup into the hand that blindly waited for it and the gunner took a numb sip of it before placing it on a crate to probably not to be touched again until the mission was over as was the fate of the last three any of the Goons not out on a mission had brought in.

The teen that just entered yawned wide before casting a glance up at his twin brother, who worked diligently but just as exhausted as he did.

"Go to sleep if you're tired," Logos frowned and rubbed his eyes from staring at the screen too long. He didn't care for sleep because as soon he laid down all he could think about was…

He tried not to think of it now and went back to tapping against the screen of the oscillo-finder, rings of faint light dancing away from the tips of his fingers as he did.

"What about you?" Daji picked up the abandoned cup and took a sip, yelping as it scalded his mouth.

Logos rolled his eyes as he instantly knew what happened without even looking. He held out his hand behind him and flexed his fingers, "Give it here."

Daji didn't refuse and passed the cup willingly into the fingers. The gunner brought it to his face, debated whether to drink out of it at all since the teen just had, then took a huge gulp to set it back down to where he had left it before.

"Want to take a break?" Daji leaned over his shoulder and looked at the figures slowing down, "Looks like Nago is wrapping it up, and Zizi's team looks to be nearing the sphere on the Mi'ihen. Hey, see, even Rouk's team is coming back already with the sphere from the water under Zanarkand! Let's play a card game or something. I've got a new deck that I special ordered to have the hearts look like our insignia." Daji added cheerfully, "You love poker right?"

"A little busy right now," Logos switched panes to a team he sent out toward Kilika, one led by Mara out to the eastern part of the woods. He seemed to ignore him, perhaps not even hearing what the teen had said at all, but he did conform he had listened by adding, "You should stop ordering so much useless items."

Daji stuck out his tongue to the gunner's back before crossing his arms and stomping one of his feet, "Come on! Take a break already, Squinty. Even the Boss had enough time to gossip with me and let me paint her nails."

Logos took enough time to look over his shoulder at the Al Bhed, a grimace slapped over his lips, "Daji, I'd rather travel to the Far Plane and back again, then let you paint my Yevon damned nails."

"Don't hate it until you try it, Hero," Erie stuck her head in through the round metal door, like Ormi she was non stop with the name-calling (if you could call it that). Most likely they were planning something together as Erie and Ormi hung out together more and more. Erie was always more devious than Zizi as the latter didn't like planning out things that would land her in hot water, though usually she had the inexplicable misfortune of receiving the most punishment out of whatever Erie did.

Logos looked at the coffee from the corner of his eye, the steam rising lazily from it making his eyes long for bed and sleep. The gunner looked at the idly standing Fem-Goon, took a mental note of when whatever she and Ormi was planning came to fruit, he'd most likely leave Zizi out of the punishment half unless proven otherwise. He turned back to the screen as Nago's initial analysis came in from the sphere. Of course, Logos checked the amateur's work but it was good practice for the Mr. Goon to go through the motions of hand analysis because of his dream to become a full fledged sphere hunter one day.

"It's not a dud," Nago sent a picture though H.E.A.R.T. just for extra measure. The image came up on the pane and Logos tapped a few areas on the screen to get the measurement of the sphere, the weight, and then the type of sphere (as there actually was different types).

"What's on it?" Logos looked at the data that came up from what he pulled up on the screen, correcting himself with the new information quickly, "Nevermind, it needs to be put through a full analysis before we do. And it appears to be rather old, we might have to clean it up a bit."

"I knew that," Nago pocketed the sphere and pointed back toward the long trip back home.

Logos quickly went over the information Nago sent and checked all his math, labeling, and price ranging. Finding it satisfactory, in other words, perfectly correct, Logos switched panes back to Zizi's mission before pulling up Mara's as well.

"Hero," Erie waved her hand in front of his squinted eyes, "Don't you think it's time to take a break?"

"Stop calling me that," Logos groaned and rubbed his eyes with his fingers.

"Fine, but first take a break, Hero," Erie pursed her blackened lips together before flipping the long pale bang on one side of her face off of her cheek bone. The short bang continued to hang limply against her face. Her many ear piercings, all black and dark steely gray, glinting evilly in the dim light of the oscillo-finder before he finally answered.

"No, there's new-"

"A break," Erie slammed her hand on the crate and it toppled the mug to the floor, were it shattered and coffee splashed against the stone. Erie cursed before hissing, "I'll clean that up while you go take a nap or something."

"I can't," Logos picked up a shard from where he sat on round sturdy creel that was reassigned to hold blank spheres that the Leblanc Syndicate could record on for themselves.

"Yes, you can." Erie swatted at the hand swiftly and his hand instinctively dropped the ceramic. Erie stared up coldly and her pale skin looked ghostly in the glow of the screen, "You will go take a break. We don't want our new leader fainting from not sleeping for the past four days."

"I've-"

"Oh, don't lie to me," Erie dropped her head dead-weight down into her shoulders, "I've got insomnia too, Hero, and I've seen you up and about when everyone else is asleep."

"I wasn't aware you had insomnia," Logos scoffed and turned back to the screen as new Gagazet sphere waves popped came in.

"I wasn't aware you had it either," Erie smirked as he looked down at her from the corner of his sharp eyes, "But maybe we both just developed it, right? About nine days ago."

"Don't mock me," Logos growled testily, "I'm hardly in the mood to be messed with."

"Take a break," Erie repeated, but in a softer tone, and then sighed sadly. The drawing out of her breath made melancholy mix into the air around her as she distantly looked at the broken shards on the ground, "Please, Sir."

"Fine," Logos checked the data on the screen and figured he could spend a little time, but not to much as the Mi'ihen team with Zizi started to walk around in circles and would probably need assistance soon.

Sensing his concerns, Daji looked at the screen then put a slender hand on the gunner's shoulders, "I'll take care of it for you, Squinty."

He looked at him, like he doubted he was capable of it, and the seventeen year old just closed his eyes gently and tilted his head girlishly to the side, "Who helped invent the H.E.A.R.T. anways? I got this, Logos."

In the hallway, Ormi was picking dirt from underneath his nails with a short stubby knife that Logos hadn't seen since the Yevon days. Despite that, it was in perfect condition and so sharp it caught a sinister glint off the dim and rare light that was down in the basement.

"Youse don' have tah work so hard, ya know," Ormi flicked his fingers out and stared at though top of them before balling up his fist, "Youse ain't giving me a lot tah do but drink."

"Oh?" Logos smiled, "Catching up on it?"

"Nope," Ormi shook his head and twirled the knife between his stout digits, "I's never got behind's on it. I jus' have more time tah do it now cuz youse ain't leavin' no work for me tah do."

"Is that right?" Logos knew that, if you entered the warriors room, you were always likely to see bottles of shady glass under the small table in the corner or even on top of the table itself. But Ormi never seemed to get drunk, maybe because he always acted drunk anyways with his clumsiness, bad sentence structure, mispronunciation, and idiotic ideas. The gunner could tell he was angry, not drunk angry, but angry for depriving him of work to do to keep his hands busy.

Logos knew that someone long ago, whoever managed to raise a fat stumpy young Ormi, had got in the dense skull that idleness was somehow a sin and the warrior hated to have completely nothing to do with his time.

The gunner shrugged, "Stop asking me for work, Ormi, I'll get you a mission as soon as a good Goon team comes back alright? Just look at this as a little time to yourself. You've only been back a day now from the Moonflow mission."

"Time ain't a good thing," Ormi stopped the knife in it's circular flight and with a flick in his meaty wrist, then he tucked it in his arm band. "If I get to drinking too long Im's gonna get drunk."

"I can't see how that would be a bad thing," Logos rubbed under his heavy, and somewhat sore from lack of sleep, eyes before stifling a yawn, "Besides, if that isn't what you fancy doing then go play a card game with Daji. The squirt is just begging for attention right now."

"Why's don' youse do it?" Ormi swished his hand through the air toward the general direction of his room, "I's jus' got done playin' checkers with the kid."

"I can't." Logos thought of all the work to be done, work that he just couldn't trust Ormi to do as it required a little bit more brain power then the big-hearted man had.

"Youse been sayin' tha'd a lot Logos," Ormi's eyes followed the gunner as Logos moved past him and up the slight slope, his mind not wanting to take a nap like the Goons pestered and suggested him to. Ormi's booming voice echoed behind him, "Youse know's youse can depend's on us a lil' bit, Logos. Youse can listen to us. Youse ain't been doing that lately. It wouldn't hurt tah lean on us 'little guys' for a while, youse know, so we's can help ya out."

Logos lifted a lazy hand up in the air, "Oh, yes, I know."

Ormi had the impression that he didn't.

He was the Boss now, officially as they caught news of Leblanc joining the Youth League, clarifying that she was never coming back to them. Not as their leader anyways. Even then though, as he was Boss, he still slept in the basement with his few possessions as he always had and the cramped space he was accustomed too. Leblanc would always have a room if she wanted it, he realized. Nothing was touched up there. At least, not in the nine days that had passed. He thought about going to his room, but decided against it as he knew he would just lay or sit anywhere, just anywhere, and start to sleep. Then he couldn't control what he thought, or dreamed, about.

"Hey's ain't youse gonna take a nap or something?" Ormi's chubby face inflated a bit as he suck air into his cheeks after he watched Logos lean more toward the turn where he'd go up to the living room, "Youse should go get some sleep, ya know. Youse ain't listenin' again, Logos."

"I don't have to listen to you, remember?" Logos heard his footsteps echo in the hall. No fiends stirred nor did any Goons waste time roaming anymore as they steered clear from the gunner now that the oscillo-finder always managed to find work for them. If they wanted rest, then they'd be in their own rooms out of sight, and more importantly, out of the gunslinger's sight.

"Youse should think about what the second-in-command has to say, right?" Ormi leaned back into the wall and waited.

"I suppose," Logos slowed down before going back to his pace and leaving Ormi behind, "But I still can decide against it. Being the 'boss' gives me that privilege."

Ormi heard the door raise and fall as Logos went to go nit-pick at his old duties he had as the second in command that he wouldn't let Ormi, the new second-in-command by all rights, take over fearing they'd never get done right. Ormi let of an agitated grumble before hearing the metal door loudly creak on it's great metal hinges behind him. He turned his wide set head on his thick neck down the little slope to see the door open revealing the bit of dull light inside.

Erie's pale platinum head came out as she gripped tightly the shards of a coffee cup in her hand.

"Youse coulda got a broom," Ormi flinched inwardly at the dark blood against her pale skin as she grasped the broken pieces. He gave his body a quick shake, not because he was finicky about blood, but because the contrast of the colors look spooky if not otherworldly.

"I don't need it," Erie replied dully before staring up the way of the ramp, "He went upstairs didn't he?"

"Yep," Ormi let out a ragged sigh, worry in his voice like when Leblanc went missing and Logos followed after, "Hhuu, He ain't listenin' to us…"

"He doesn't have to I guess," Erie shrugged, "We never were in charge of him anyways."

Ormi frowned and his voice rose, "It ain't that! This ain't just some ranking thing! I'm sick 'n tired of ranks. It was all that with Yevon," He spat out his old life bitterly, "No, it ain't like that. Me an' him been buddies since we's were boys, he don' have to listen to me, but he sure as Hell ought to hear me out instead of pretendin' to liz' in!"

Erie blinked slowly, a bored look on her face though she of course wasn't that. It was just like Logos's face a times, misleading. The Fem-Goon touched her light colored hair a bit before looking with forest green eyes at the second-in-command, "So what do you plan to do?"

"I'm gonna make him's calm down," Ormi set his chin before shambling up the ramp. The door crashed as he quickly let the device shut it recklessly, and without care to it.

A light drip from Erie's blood echoed eerily through the halls before she slowly made her way up the ramp, singing to herself the lyrics of the only pop song she ever liked. She believed she didn't have a good singing voice. But her voice was light, had a ring to it's ends and vibrated, but it could easily remind someone of a spider's web. She couldn't quite remember the tune of it, nor did she remember the exact lyrics. But she got enough of it right only accidentally adding a few of her own lines.

_Far beyond the hazy borders of my heart _  
><em>I could see a place that's something like this <em>  
><em>Every now and then I don't know what to do <em>

_-But that's okay,_Erie frowned because she knew that wasn't the right line before she skipped more lines because as she forgot what they even were, her voice subtly cracking and singing dryly for her favorite line and one she never forgot-

_You'll never be alone._

* * *

><p>"Ah!" Leblanc gasped as she felt hands creep up her leather bound sides. Fists ready she turned around and slammed a down facing balled hand into the solar plexus of Ruckus.<p>

"Ow," Ruckus feigned pain, flinched a little, before chuckling deeply. He was the bigger built man that had helped escort her to the elevator the first day, nine days ago, and he turned out to just love bothering her.

"Back off," She held up her own well built arms, her fist attached to it and ready to strike out like a snake, again, "Now."

Hacky, the tall lean one that had lead her also, materialized with a displeased look and the sweet and sour faced woman at his side, as it turned out that young girl was actually a fresh eighteen year old.

Nia stuck out her tongue, "You should be more respectful to women, Ruckus."

In every group there seemed to be one that many did not like, but did nothing to merit getting completely thrown out, and that was Ruckus for the Youth League. He never seemed to do exactly as he was told, but never deliberately disobeyed a single order, however he liked to torment the women constantly. Lucil managed to ward Ruckus off with her authoritativeness and rank amongst the Youth Leaguers. But that was the only one that managed to ward him off. Elma had to kick him in the man parts once just to get him to stop following her around the camp, asking her out on a date.

"Hey, hey," He held up his blackened finger tips, his specialty was in bombs and it showed in his dirty appearance and constant gun powder smell, "Little Lady, I was just playing around with Queen here. Nothing more."

Ruckus was also the type of man to give hateful and irritating nicknames to people. Leblanc received the name 'Queen' as soon as she got there unknownst to her. Nia hated her short height, as many people didn't take her seriously, and being called 'Little Lady' offended her greatly. Hacky wasn't even Hacky's real name, as it once was Hackeriemus, but he was dubbed Hacky after it was known that he was in an unfortunate accident. One that had consisted of his first Youth League mission and a stray bullet from a skirmish grazed the inside of his thigh and something else between his legs. That's why is full nick name was "Hacky-sack" and 'sack' referred to something much cruder than a child's toy bean bag. Hacky admits he didn't like the name at first but it stuck and even his friends used it now.

Ruckus winked at "Queen" before reaching out to put a 'friendly' hand on her shoulder.

"Back off," Leblanc repeated herself and held up a gun, a simple rifle, and aimed it at Ruckus's chest. She smiled dimly as Ruckus did inch away from her as she held the tip against his heart.

_No wonder Logos likes these things so much_ Leblanc thought wickedly_ they give a lot of power for a little bit of effort. _

She knew she could easily cast a thundaga on the bastard's head, make him wish he never was born, but that wouldn't teach the pervert anything. Now she knew perverts, every man and even woman was a bit of one in one thing or another, but this man caused disgust in her soul and bile in her throat. At least Logos, though not discreet with his 'ladies', didn't think that all woman wanted him just because he was a man and they were a woman. There was a little bit more to that and Logos at least undestood that much. Unlike Ruckus.

"Hey, don't be like that," Ruckus purred lightly before Hacky stuck out his long arm.

"She said leave her alone," Hacky was tall like Logos, but didn't take the threatening face. He appeared to have the physique the wind could blow over and Ruckus chuckled and pushed his arm away.

"Or what?"

"I'll kick you where the sun don't shine, bub," Nia pointed a delicate finger at him, "Bring you down to my level and mess you up."

"Heh," Ruckus obviously wasn't afraid of the woman, though scrappy looking as she was. "Why do you always act like you hate me, Little Lady?"

"Oh, Ruckus," Nia batted her long brown eyelashes, "I don't hate you-"

He smiled and leaned back, like he was expecting her body to lean into his and growl, "I absolutely loathe you. And let me tell you, that is no act!"

Hacky let out a snort before receiving a glare from Ruckus.

Leblanc whispered under her breath and felt her fingers twitch for her fan that she just didn't have anymore. She knew an art, a dark art, that not even the Black Mage's used. And that was the elemental spells of air.

Now while the other elements had its opposites, water to lightning, fire to ice, but air had no opposing force to it. Nothing could really stop it but itself as each powerful gust, like the wind, was short lived no matter how strong. The skill was forbidden because, even with its limits, it caused a lot of trouble. She was the sole, as far as she knew, person who knew, practiced, and mastered the art.

How she came upon this skill? The same way she got all her things that were illegal that she wanted. She stole it. When she was being schooled in magic in Bevelle, still a girl then, she slipped into the forbidden part of the library, learned a few secrets and took the manual of the Element of Air for herself. Now, she was the only one that knew how to send a sonic blast through someone's body, slash them and dash them with her breath, or make their brains explode if she had the mind to by manipulating the air around their heads.

But that was something she might get in trouble for. After all, she wasn't a murderer. An manipulator, a practiced liar, an actress, a thief, vain even, but she wasn't a killer. Not of human blood, fiend of course that was given in their world, but she never took a human life. Though she did get quickly used to her boys handling the more vicious bandits between the Djose road and the Moonflow, until their ragged bodies draped over the ground and ceased moving with her boys' merciless abilities.

She had the right tools to be a killer though and she was willing to use it if anyone tried to bring harm to her comrades. Hacky froze up, bringing up his chest as Ruckus inched closer to him, muscles in his neck twitching.

"You think it's funny?"

"Yes," Hacky half-lidded his blue eyes, "I do actually."

"Hmm?" Ruckus was itching to attack and grabbed a handful of Hacky's leather uniform, "You want to fight?"

"No," Hacky gulped a little in his throat, his large and clearly showing Adam's apple bobbing above the big man's hand, "I don't."

Hackys' feet barely came off the ground, but as the leaner one tried to pull back, Ruckus roughly shook the body until Hacky's teeth rattled, "You think those girls are always gonna be around to play shield for ya? Huh, Hackysack?"

"I would never use a proper woman as a shield," Hacky pushed on the meaty arm, his senses returning from the good shake they had, "Now let me go, you oaf."

"Let. Him. Go." Leblanc decided against using any spells, knowing in her anger she might not hold back, and raised the gun instead, "Now."She put a sharp emphasis on each syllable, her finger becoming a bit taunter on the trigger with each word. She prayed, to what she did not know as Yevon held no meaning to her anymore, that she wouldn't have to fire.

Ruckus noticed the tightening of the trigger finger and lifted a corner of his mouth, greatly amused, and seemingly reading how she felt about killing with her tight knit eyebrows, "The great 'Queen' of the Leblanc Syndicate wants me to put him down?"

"Yes," A deep but smooth voice made Ruckus, not to mention the rest of them, jolt with how recognizable it was and the how it snuck upon them so suddenly.

"Meyvn Nooj," Hacky saluted as Ruckus released him, his hands on either side of his head.

"Just messin' around," Ruckus claimed before turning on one foot to leave.

Nooj's voice caught him, "I have a job for you, Ruckus."

"Yes, Sir," Ruckus saluted, ignored the humorous giggle he heard from Nia's direction, and took the punishment that Nooj thought of for him to do for causing trouble yet again. He wouldn't bother them for some time, Leblanc figured, because it took quite a while to clean all the morning dishes of the entire Youth League, by **himself**.

Nooj watched the thick back go before turning to Leblanc, "I apologize for him. We're still 'training' him as you can see."

"Hmm, yes I can see that," Leblanc leaned a little away from the leaving form, almost disgusted. Of course what the Meyvn meant but 'training' wasn't teaching how to fight, the man already knew that from being an former solider, but it was the training on how to act properly as a sensible human being.

"You have patience," The strange compliment from Nooj turned Leblanc's head towards him, "I thought you might've killed him at a certain point by now."

Many new female members wished nothing but for that but didn't have the means to do it. Leblanc had the means, and she held back, though she wouldn't miss the man if he just simply went away.

"Thank you, love," Leblanc smiled as her cheeks heated up a bit.

"Leblanc-" Nooj started but was cut off by Lucil's hurried voice.

"Mevyn Nooj," She gave her chest one pound as her heels were brought together, "The meeting is starting."

"Oh, yes," Nooj seemed to look at the tent like it was a tedious chore, "I'm sorry Leblanc, we'll have to finish this some other time."

Her heart fluttered a bit, as well as sunk. She sighed, "Yes, love."

As soon as the crimson back was out of sight, she stared a bit longer.

"Hey," Hacky waved a hand in front of her face, "Spira to 'blanc, Spira to Miz Leblanc."

"Oh, what?" She had an edge of annoyance, though not a particularly sharp one, "What do you want, Hacky?"

"Stop staring at the Meyvn's ass will ya?" Nia bent down and cuddled into Leblanc's back, "Unless your gonna say something about it."

"I wasn't!" Leblanc shook her head before silently thinking, _maybe I should've a little._

Hacky waved a hand through the air, "Oh, yeah yeah of course." His blue eyes lighted up a bit as he stuck out his hand, "Thank you for saving _my_ ass again."

"I hardly did anything," Leblanc looked at the hand, lowering it with her gaze, "The imbecile doesn't take me seriously. You should thank Noojie-er Nooj for saving you not me."

"Oh~" Hacky slapped the back of his mocha toned neck before giving it a good rub, "But I don't want a guy to be my hero! I'd much rather prefer a woman, a nice woman."

"Well, don't look at me!" Nia snapped earning a lighthearted chuckle and a side glance from the much much taller one.

"What are you going to do, short-stuff? Come at him so he could punt you back over the rainbow, leprechaun?" His light voice broke into a laugh and Nia kicked his shins, "Ow."

"If I really was a leprechaun then wouldn't I be rich?" Nia stuck her hand down into the leather pockets against her flappy leather vest, "Oh, man I'd kill for ten gil right now."

"Then lunch on me?" Hacky leaned down and received a crooked face and a ghost of a smirk.

Nia gestured toward Leblanc, "Think you can spare some for Love-Love over there, Hacky?"

Leblanc shrugged at the name she got in par with 'Queen'. She of course, earned the name from several things, one, she referred to every one by 'love', second, she used to dress up in 'silly', as Nia said, hearts, and third, if you kind of said 'Leblanc', then 'Love-Love' just rings with it. But not completely.

"Of course, so I got two dates?" Hacky smiled and leaned to them both, but closer to Nia, "How about it?"

"No, I can feed myself thank you," Leblanc rejected the offer politely, "I have my own gil that I plan on using for myself one week or another."

"But I enjoy paying for you darling." Hacky winked at Nia and the short woman turned, "Yeah, Love-Love, why don't you just let him and keep your precious gil for yourself?"

"You two should enjoy eating with just you two there," Leblanc tilted her soft face to the side. Despite what they looked, Nia and Hacky were not together, though by the way the **both** acted they should of. When questioning her room mate about it, for Nia shared the same tent that she did, the shorter one just shrugged, _"I don't know, we're just friends Love-Love"_ When asked if she wanted it to be more, Nia again shrugged lightly, _"If it happens it happens. I don't know if I want it to be that way or not."_

Leblanc stared at them as they chatted ahead of her. Leaning back and forth at each other and touching each other casually. They both flirted with each other, but didn't strive to take over the time of the other, and they were both perfectly content if they had their own girls and boys to take away their time from each other. Though at the moment, they now were both single because Nia's boyfriend was caught (and nearly castrated by Nia's vengeful rusty razor) with another woman, and that said woman was going out with Hacky at the time.

Leblanc zoomed back in to what was being said in front of her as all three of them started toward the elevator to patrol, "-the two best heroines a man could have, I think."

"Oh, so I'm not just a munchkin anymore?" Nia put her hand on her hip while socking the sinewy arm with the other, "You little liar!"

"I never lie!" Hacky raised his chin up, and so far he really hadn't lied as far as Leblanc had seen of his character in the last nine days, even was brutally honest when his face could get cracked in by Ruckus's tough fists.

"Oh whatever," Nia rolled her eyes, and gave her head a little shake, "What type of story are you making for yourself with two heroines?"

"Hmm, a harem?" Hackey joked.

"That's not a type of story!" Nia stuck out her bottom lip, "Man, Hacky you're such an idiot."

"Ouch, that's not nice," Hacky looked over his shoulder at Leblanc, "Hey, why are you walking so slow, darling?"

Leblanc realized they were already on the elevator and waiting for her. She hurried her pace, puffing, "I'm just taking my distance from you two love-birds!"

"Yeah right," Nia looked away from Hacky as he rubbed the back of his neck.

The elevator shaft began it's descending downward and Leblanc silently and deeply thought to herself.

A heroine? Would a real heroine leave behind her group, the one she made, for another because of love?

Or would she of found a way to keep things together?

Leblanc wasn't a heroine. She wasn't a heroine anymore than she was in complete control over everything. In her domain, she ran things. But here, she was just another person who couldn't even make a meat head like Ruckus back off.

She felt a bit pathetic. And she didn't even know why as all she did was realize she was just a plain woman. It did make her feel less special though, and maybe that's why it bothered her.


	4. Par'tay! For Love

"Chapter 4: Par'tay! For Love"

* * *

><p>"Ah!" Logos felt his arms press against his sides, the rough texture of the rope sinking into his skin through his blue clothing, and his head twisted around to see the Al Bhed twins holding on to the ends of it, identical grins plastered on their tan faces. His own face took a downward plunge and a growl erupted from between his teeth behind his unpleasant expression, "What the Hell do you sand inhalers think you're doing?"<p>

"Cap-" They gave each other high five's with their one free hands- "-tured!"

"Good job, youse two!" Ormi put his hands on his hips and stood taller, booming in his loud voice before laughing triumphantly, "Bwa ha ha! Youse aint' getting away now, Logos!"

"Are you all on drugs? Release me!" Logos felt the rope tighten and he squirmed against them, "What is the meaning of this anyways?"

"Well, you see-" Daji started before looking at Taji and finishing together with a happy and sarcastic, "**Boss!** We-" They spoke in time with each other, "-Want you to stop moping over the old Boss!"

"And since you're not listening to us any other way," Erie's low unenthusiastic voice chimed in from the side, other goons knowingly following after her, "We decided to take matters into our own hands. The second-in-command gave us full permission."

"Oh, is that right?" Logos glared at Ormi, "So tell me what you've got planned you thick skulled, gluttonous, moron."

"Ouch," Ormi flinched a little, "Tha'd ain't nice when all's we's wan'z youse to do is have a lil' fun!"

"Oh please, spare me that," Logos rolled his eyes, "I've had enough of your attempts to get me to relax. I told you I have no desire to-"

"Yeah, yeah," Ormi said slowly and smiled dimly, "But we's ain't gonna let youse jus' keep going on without stopping. After all's, youse ain't invincible. Youse need some rest and we's need time to set's up a party."

"A party?" Logos sniffed in, "And whose permission do you have for this?"

"Mine," Ormi stuck up his chin, "And I'm planning on inviting the Boss too! So watch out Logos, cuz when youse wakes up, youse'll have a coupla things to say to the Boss!"

The gunner started to writhe in the ropes that bonded him, "What do you mean when I wake up? You can't make me-"

"Time to take a nap!" Zizi jumped into the air, reaching into the front of her tight fitting shirt before flying down with an oversized hammer produced from…wherever she could of produced such a thing, right into the top of the un expecting gunner's head.

The body jolted, Logos's eyes blinking, before stumbling down to the ground.

"Stupid bitch!" Erie shrieked, "All I told you to do was to make him fall asleep!"

Shouldering the hammer, Zizi pouted, "And I did! What are you complaining about?"

"You killed him! You killed him, Z! " Daji shook the rope in his hands, the other side limp because the body attached no longer struggled, "Omigawd, We're accomplices to a murder, Taji!"

"No way, man!" Taji slapped a hand over his eyes, "I'm not getting into this! I saw nothing!"

"He's not dead," Erie snapped before turning back to the black haired She-Goon with the mallet, "But really, you damn near could of!"

"Well, to me he looks like he's sleeping like a baby," Zizi prodded the blue clad shoulder with her foot, "So there, sugar. Take that."

"Are you-" Erie sucked in her words, "Are you freaking stupid or just fucking retarded?"

"That's not nice!" Zizi lifted the device of slap-stick and turned it, "Look, does this lil' ol' thing look like it can kill someone?"

"Hell yeah it does!" Erie reached for it and pried it away from the dark-toned hands. Her pale hands quivered with it's weight and it fell with a heavy bounce off the gunner's head a second time.

Zizi gasped, "Ah! Clumsy bitch!"

"Well, it's not my fault!" Erie dragged the heavy weight weapon off the helmeted (thank Yevon or who ever really ended up in charge) head.

"Whose idea was it to have a party in the first place!" Zizi pointed a slender finger into Erie's slight chest, "Now the Boss will never come if she finds out we killed Logos!"

"We didn't kill him!" Erie shouted back, before she looked at the head that surely had two lumps forming on top of each other, "Or well- let's go get Rouk just in case."

Ormi took a step closer to the blue body on the floor, hands on his wide hips, "Welp! Tha'd went well. He's gonna be pissed when he wake's up!"

"Why didn't you use a sleeping potion on him or something?" Nago lifted one skinny gunner's arm before letting it drop limply to the floor, "Just slip it into his coffee? But no! You had to hit him with a hammer. What in your right mind made you think that was okay?"

"Well, in manga they do it all the time so-" Zizi shrugged, "Okay not the smartest thing I've ever done but I think he's fine."

"You and your books-" Erie shook her head before leaning over Logos along side Ormi, "Hmm, is he alright? What if he's not?"

The goons gathered closer together in the living room, contemplating what to do.

"Way to go, Erie. You and the Tub's brilliant thinking has put all our lives in jeopardy **again**!" Anomi criss-crossed her arms under her 'cushioned' chest, "Logos is going to have a bullet with our asses names on it for sure for this one! _If _he's even alive!"

Mara stuck a finger up into the air, "Uhm, Anomi. I didn't know our butts had a name of their own."

"That's not the point!" Anomi pointed down at the unconscious gunner, visibly breathing though so there was no question into his state of being. With her finger waving with each word, Anomi screamed, "We're dead meat. D-E-A-D. Deader than a asthma sufferer in a sand storm. We're going to be dead."

"Ohhh," Logos groaned and Anomi yelped.

"Hiya!" Erie came down with the hammer a third time. With a flop, Logos fell back to his knocked out state, unmoving.

"That didn't help!" Nago yelped and brought his dark green gloves to the side of his head, "Oh, man, oh man, he's going to be extra angry. I never should've agreed to do this! There has to be rule saying you can't hit the Boss with a mallet."

"Heh," Ormi leaned over the gunner with his sturdy hands planted against his trunk like knees, "Not tha' I's ever read, Nago. But youse right about how he ain't gonna be happy with the headache he's gonna get from this."

"Let's get a sleeping potion, **legitimate** this time, and put him in his room," Erie lowered the hammer in case her reflexes took over again, "Maybe we can say he dreamed this all up."

"Right, and when he wonders why his head hurts and feels the fist sized goose-eggs on the back of his head, he's just going to think they're a dream too." Zizi frowned.

Erie's pale face shot up, "Well it's your fault for knocking him out with a hammer! What? Have you really never heard of a sleeping potion before? You can't even get that right, can you?"

"Why are you yelling at me about getting things right when you're the one that thought this stupid plan up in the first place!" Zizi clamped her ears with her hands, "No! I need to learn to never to listen to you again! It always ends up in trouble for me!"

"You're the one that hit him with the hammer!" All the Goons yelled at her before an even angrier and creaky voice screamed.

"Shud' Up!" Rouk stood in the secret passageway, fists tight against his sides, "Idiots, put a sleeping spell on him, put some potions for his head, and don't say a word! Simple as that."

The goons looked at the eldest before looking back down at their 'Boss'.

"Well, okay's then," Ormi gestured for Zizi to get the required items, "He's getting some sleep so's we's got one thing done a'd least."

"About that-" Rouk straightened out his hunched over back, "You should all probably stop meddling between what's between him and the Boss. If you want to keep up contact with Leblanc, than do it yourselves, but leave Logos out of it."

"But-" Daji stared down at the gunslinger, heart achingly dully, "We want them to-"

Rouk quickly interrupted, "Whatever you want them to be and what they are, are two different things and of course the latter has nothing to do with you. Keep out of it. It's up to them _both_ and your interference is not going to help any."

It was aggravating when the sadist doctor made sense.

Daji mumbled grumpily, "Fine."

"Now as for you two-" The Doctor turned around to face Erie and Ormi, the two masterminds of this ridiculous fiasco, "-If you two so much as whisper to each other then I'm going to make sure Logos is informed of your meddling plans and you two will probably be separated by the most crappiest of missions our new 'Boss' can think of, got it?"

"Okay's," Ormi whined and his body became crest fallen, in that moment he must've forgotten he had more pull then the Doctor. Erie didn't look much happier as she muttered, knowing all to well she had no say, "Sure, whatever."

"Damn," Rouk looked down at Logos and, like Zizi had, prodded him with his foot, "You hit him how many times?"

"Three." The goons answered in unison before looking downwards in shame.

"I work with a bunch of idiots-" the old man grumbled before bending down to the gunner's head, complaining more, "I just don't get paid enough for this."

* * *

><p>"What? A party for me?" Leblanc shook her head, "After twelve days don't you think it's a little too late for that?"<p>

"No it isn't!" Elma cupped her hands together before leaning her head into the back of her hands, "See, the Meyvn Nooj has been in meetin's all this week so we postponed the 'Welcome Leblanc to the Youth League' party until tonight!"

"Alright," Leblanc nodded, "I see now, love. You're saying that Nooj is going to be there right?"

"Kinda the point of waiting you know?" Elma closed her eyes and laughed a little, "Say, why are you so interested if he's going or not?"

Leblanc answered the simple minded woman with a simple answer, "I admire him like the rest of you."

"Oh, I see!" Elma let her head give a quick shake, "Yeah- that make's perfect sense!"

"Glad you understand," Leblanc turned back on the road, "Now if you don't mind, love, I was in the middle of-"

"Oh, that's right," Elma's voice stopped her from leaving, "I just remembered!"

"Remembered what?"

"See," Elma rubbed her cheek with her calloused fore-finger, "Well, the cook says he won't make any food for the party unless we pay him. And well, it was just something the guys and me thrown together for the occasion so we didn't set aside any gil to do that. And a party just isn't a party without any food!"

"And the thing you want me to do is-?" Leblanc dreaded the answer.

"Well, I'm not a really good chef myself, and the guys just don't know squat about cookin' so maybe, well, could you make some stuff for the party tonight? I know you shouldn't have to make stuff for your own party but-" Elma leaned forward, her fingers intertwined and pressed against her side, "~Please?"

Leblanc felt a nerve twitch, a smile still pasted on her heart shaped face though, her eyes were closed as she answered, "Uhm, sure I will, love."

"Great!" Elma exclaimed before swatting the air with her hand, "Then your relieved of your duties for today to have the whole day to cook for the party tonight! It's just going to be so much fun!"

"Yeah," Leblanc chuckled, "Yeah, fun…"

After the red clad woman ran off, Leblanc screamed off in her head.

_I don't even know how to cook either!_

As soon as she made her way back to the kitchen tent, Leblanc searched the shelves for a cookbook. Finding one, she flipped through the pages for the least complicated recipes that suited a party. She found many and then nervously set to work on the materials in which to prepare them with.

The supplies were well stocked, easily labeled, and the utensils and bowls were easily found. Once she had all the tools set out on the long counter, she took a long slow breath, and rolled up her leather sleeves.

"Alright, Leblanc, let's begin! Can't be too hard, can it?"

She felt her shoulders shrink as the objects and produce and packages of meat looked foreboding to her. She didn't know where to begin.

Using common sense, she looked at the preparation and cook times of all the recipes. Reading over the instructions, she reached out for a spoon and a bowl.

In the hours that passed, a sweet smell, along with different other scents of spice, flavoring, and other additives, wafted through the tent flap she diligently worked in and grabbed the attention of the men walking the grounds. The ones with duties forced themselves to continue past without taking a peek but two little boys stopped in front of the tent, chores left unattended as the took a 'break'.

"Hey, Braco, think we can go in?" A lean face peeked through the tent flap, crazy blue-green hair sticking out in all directions on the top of his apricot skin head.

"I don't know, Dimitri, " A round bubbly face looked up at the skinny one hovering over his own, "Common sense would tell you that it isn't allowed right?"

"Aren't you the smart one?" Dimitri adjusted his black leather wristbands before firmly grabbing the tent flap to yank it open, "I say we go in!"

Fat arms wrapped around his legs, "No, don't Dimitri! We're going to get in trouble!"

"Shut up, Four-eyes, I know what I'm doing!" Dimitri held his head up higher, "She looks like a nice lady."

"I saw her take out a fiend with just one hit," Braco shook his chubby face against the loose baggy pant leg of his cousin, "And I saw her yell at these tough looking guys like they were just a bunch of kids like us! She even called them 'Boys', Dimitri!"

"But she's making cake!" Dimitri squirmed, his hollow stomach crying out for a taste of the sugary confection, his cousin's holding him back was killing him slowly, "Cake Braco! Freaking cake!"

"What happened to the chocolate I gave you earlier?" Braco looked through his straight dark brown bangs, "Well, Dimitri?"

"I ate it of course, but I'm still hungry!" Dimitri bent his dark eyebrows up, his dyed hair falling into his watery brown eyes, "Oh, please~ Braco. Let me go so I can see if I can get something from that table."

"She's gonna be mad if you do that!" Braco sputtered and gripped to the thin legs tighter, "Don't do it! Nine is an awful young age to die don't you think?"

"Just because you turned ten a week ago doesn't mean you know everything," Dimitri yanked his legs from his cousin's grasp, "Ha! Try and stop me, Fatty!"

The tent flap was pushed out of the way and Dimitri rushed into the tent and towards the table. Leblanc, a cookbook tight in one hand as food boiled over a stove, contemplating however much a 'pinch' was, looked at the thin boy's entrance and jolted a little as the boy didn't look like he was slowing down until he came to a skidding stop right in front of her.

"What'cha doooo'ing?" He looked up at her with large brown eyes and an innocent smile, despite the 'punk' look he possessed.

"I'm cooking, love," Leblanc smiled back and followed his true gaze to the angel food cake she had made. Smiling wider, she leaned down, "Want me to show you a trick I learned a long time ago?"

"What?" His eyes became bigger as she lifted the homemade cake off the plate a bit and looked at the crumbly bottom. Taking off a sliver that was already hanging half-off the delicate bottom, she passed it to the skinny child's hand.

"Now no one will know it was even touched," Leblanc smiled as she let the cake settle back to the plate.

"Thanks!" Dimitri stuffed the whole sweet sliver into his mouth and looked to the tent flap, "Come on Braco! She's a good person!"

Leblanc laughed a little, "I'm not an evil person anyways."

A pudgy face, thick black rimmed glasses over his eyes, peered into the tent cautiously. Leblanc smiled and grabbed a biscuit that was just left from the breakfast, "Come in here and join us, Braco." Saying the boy's name as she had heard it.

"Uh-" He hesitated before he slowly ventured in, "O-okay."

"My name's Dimitri!" The skinny kid piped up and pointed a purple painted nail to his chest. He adjusted his weight and pointed a thumb with a black-and-white checkered band around it towards the thicker one, "And that's Braco. We're cousins and we're training with our Aunt Lyra."

"Both of your's Aunt, or a mother of one of you two?" Leblanc turned back to the stove and decided a pinch was literal and pinched salt between her forefinger and thumb before sprinkling it in.

"Nah, she's both of ours. Auntie Lyra is the youngest out of three sisters," Dimitri lowered his hand and watched Leblanc's hand move over the ingredients, "She's only seventeen but she tries to act so much older."

"Yeah, she's a real bossy Aunt," Braco agreed before shifting his glasses farther up his round nose, "She's always telling us what not to do and where we're not supposed to be and-"

"Why are you boys in here?" A voice, whom Leblanc presumed must've been Lyra, hollered from the tent flap and entered from the blinding light, "I send you two on a quick errand and you're trying to beg for food again. I'm sorry ma'am if these two nut-heads-" A pale delicate hand pulled on the two boys' ears before forcing them to bow with her, "-bothered you." Lyra went on.

"Oh, no," Leblanc turned the stove down before smiling down at the black hair, a slight purple sheen to it, that spilled over the young woman's head, "It's not a problem. They didn't beg me for anything either." Leblanc sent a wink their way before Lyra lifted her violet eyes from the ground.

"Sorry," She apologized again before fixing her posture, "You're Leblanc right? The one that used to give us spheres all the time?"

"Yes," She smiled but felt a dull empty feeling again at the mention of her old group, still not quite accustomed from being away from then, though getting there.

"Do you know if-"

Already aware of what she was about to ask, Leblanc shook her head, "No, I don't. You're going to have to ask Logos, he's the new 'Boss' now."

"Oh," Lyra smiled, her violet eyes crinkling around the edges in a mature and knowing looking smile, "That's alright then. Do you miss them, Leblanc?"

"Hmm?" Leblanc pretended not to hear the question right to spare a little time to think of an answer, or perhaps to discourage Lyra from asking it again.

"Do you miss your old men Leblanc?" Lyra repeated, waving a hand for her nephews to skedaddle and do what they were commanded to do earlier.

"Yes," Leblanc admitted before going back to what she was doing.

"It's expected," Lyra commented before stirring something for her as it started to heat up and boil, "You know, I wasn't quite sure I liked you guys at first."

Leblanc chuckled a bit before turning and half frowned-half smiled, "Why's that, Love?"

"Well, I talked to that tall guy once, the gunner-" Lyra turned down the heat and put the spoon neatly on the counter, "And he wasn't all that friendly. Kept calling me 'little girl' and all that. The big one was friendly enough though, but he seemed a bit slow. And you- if you don't mind me saying so-well, you seemed a bit bossy and selfish to me."

"Is that right?" Leblanc felt a bit of apprehension toward the woman, "What would make you think that?"

"I don't know," Lyra shrugged, "I don't think that now though for some reason." Her purple eyes drifted to her face, "I don't know why. You don't seem much different. I guess it's just how they say, right, 'don't judge a book by it's cover' and 'people aren't what they appear', right?"

"I suppose," Leblanc noted that almost everything was made with satisfaction, before bitterly remembering she was often misjudged by her appearance when she was with the Leblanc Syndicate, "Those boys aren't what they seem either."

"Hmm? Logos and Ormi?" Lyra lifted a thin brow.

"Huh? I was talking about your two nephews." Leblanc turned from the stove, "How'd you know my boys' names?"

"The big one, Ormi, he told me," Lyra noticed the near completion of all the food stuff, "All I had to do was ask. Looks like you're done here, wanna come with me to the shop?"

"The shop?" Leblanc vaguely remembered it on her initial tour of the headquarters, "Why?"

"I need to get something made," Lyra gripped something imaginary, "My sword needs to be mended, I snapped it straight across the blade. As for why you'd go, I don't know, just to keep me company?"

"Sounds good enough," Leblanc followed after the thin girl, turning off the stove before going, "Let's go, love."

* * *

><p>"Ohhh," Logos sat up rubbing his head, "What the-?Ow!" He winced at the sharp throb he felt in his head. He couldn't recall having anything to drink the night before, but then again, he couldn't really remember getting into his room either.<p>

When had he fallen asleep? He tried to think but found pain throbbing in his cranium more intensely instead.

"Damn," He hissed and looked to the table where something unfamiliar sat upon it. At some length, he rolled out from under his covers and snatched it from the table.

The paper was a mere scrap with clumsy writing scrawled in thick black marker-

**_Yo! _**

**_Gonna take break. Goons are coming with me too so don't bother looking for them. _****_You should do the same. Sleep some Logos and take it easy and we'll come back once you decide to unload your guns. _****_Don't be mad :P Ormi._**

He felt the paper crumble in his palm, _That idiot! _

Another paper was present on his table top, a neatly folded sheet with a crisp whiteness that deeply contrasted to the previous note, and Logos found himself feeling a loathing and dread for it before he even picked it up. He frowned down at it for a few more seconds, sure that it wasn't going to be anymore pleasant then the last, before resigning to lift if off the table top.

**_If your head hurts that's because the goons hit you with a hammer. Potion in the drawer, and get rid of the dirty spheres before the twins find it!_**

**_-Rouk_**

"Hammer-?"Logos scratched his head, feeling the bumps as well. Wincing again, he went to open the drawer for the potion.

Piecing together the fragments of memory he had, he recalled them gathering in the living room and then the ridiculous claim to have a 'party' before-

He assumed that's when the supposed hammer came into play and he found himself strangely curious as to which of the many idiots had the bright idea to hit someone on the head with a hammer in the first place- (and as he felt more bumps on his head, he mentally added) -many times.

Throwing the notes away, a poor waste of paper as they were, Logos made his way out of his room. True to his word, the lug had taken the goons and cleared at the chateau before he had awaken, and probably wouldn't be back until after dinner as that's what Ormi always did for the Goons if Logos was mad at them for something.

Logos knew he probably would've shot someone if anyone was present, and Ormi was wise to clear them out, but settled to go back to bed again instead of polishing his bullets with the Goon's imaginary names on them to perfection. Nothing horrible, to his surprise, came from allowing himself the pleasure of sleeping and he fell back into his bed gladly to ease the hurting in his head.

Down the street, over the hill and down into the deeper parts of Guadosalem, Daji and Taji slurped on noodles in contest with each other.

"Don't get sick," Mara nipped at the end of her own chopsticks, having difficulty using them, "Hmm, this is different."

"Like a pencil, see?" Ormi held out his hand and showed the placement of the two straight sticks, "Then this one just comes down tah pinch the food."

"Someone ate my tempura," Nago lifted his platter before looking beside him at Anomi, "Hey!"

"Snooze you lose pal," Anomi crunched down on the last of his crispy shrimp before laughing at his defeated face. "But I was the one that bought that…"

"Grrr," Taji held out his bowl, "More please!"

The man behind the counter blinked before smiling good-naturedly, "Are you sure you can pay for it?"

"Yep, the big guy's getting it, hit me!" Taji shook his bowl and more hot noodles were plopped into his simmering brown broth.

Zizi chewed on the end of chopstick, the end moving up and down as she spoke, "What are we going to do with Mr. Grumpy Gunner?"

"Let's hit him with a hammer," Erie leaned into her palm and rolled her forest green iris within her grayish white eyes, "Seriously, let's not try anything else. We're only doomed to fail."

"Good thinking," Rouk sipped on his tea before nodding sagely, "Best to stay in our own business and leave Logos and the Boss to their own."

"But-!" Daji, defeated and full, whined into both his hands as they propped his chin, "-I just want them to get along!"

"We all do," Rouk shrugged his bent shoulders, "But that doesn't mean that that's how it is going to be."

Ormi pushed away his own super large bowl and rubbed his stomach a little, "Well, I's don't think they's don't like each other. Hey's, maybe's the Boss 'like's' Logos they way he want's her too. Maybe, they's just don't know what to do now that things got all awkward."

"Oh," Mara sighed and gave up the chopsticks again to finish her food with a fork as she should have done for the first 98% percent of the meal. She quickly finished off her platter and sighed wistfully again, "Poor Logos, he's just so...bothered by all this."

"If you ask me, he's being a big baby," Erie crossed her arms and leaned them into the counter, "I just want the Boss back."

Daji lifted his green eyes to follow the discussion to Erie's face, "But how?"

"He should just go to her," Anomi jumped onto her stool seat and placed a heeled foot onto the tabletop, her chopsticks held up like a rose and hand over her heart with a romantic gleam in her own spiral green eyes, "Let it be like this. He'll catch her off-guard, surprise her and right after her sweet gasp say, _E muja oui suna dryh dra suuh uh y lmayn tacand hekrd. Fedr cbyngmehk aoac oui nacaspma dra jano cdync pid drao yna hu sydlr vun ouin payido."_

"Um, I don't think Logos can speak Al Bhed." Mara neatly laid down her fork next to her chopsticks on onto the table.

Ormi added in a grumbly voice, "I's don't think Logos would be thad sappy either."

"It's poetry! He always spouts that stuff out to his slutty ho's and bitches, haven't you heard him? He's always freaking quoting stuff so he can get them in the sack," Anomi looked down from the counter, ignoring the cries from the owner of the restaurant to get down.

Mara covered her mouth, her brown eyes wide, "Oh, you shouldn't say such things in public Anomi! At least not so loud."

Rouk shook off the stares that everyone else was giving them, mostly to the blonde spouting profanity, "I agree with Miss Mara, get down."

"You guys are no fun," Anomi pouted and dismounted from the table top with a flip.

"More please!" Taji held out his bowl to the cook again.

"You know-" Zizi unraveled the wrapped cookie that came with her order, "Maybe a party wasn't the best thing to hook them up with. They're not in grade school. Maybe we could just make them meet in the same place, by 'accident' of course."

"Nah," Anomi shook her head, "We need to think of something better. Logos would just avoid that with strict professionalism, you know it."

"What did I tell you?" Rouk glowered at their plotting down the counter, "Stop meddling!"

"Shut up old man!" Anomi turned to him before coldly flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder with a "Hmph!"

"Why you-" Rouk gritted his teeth and looked back at the wood top, his glasses slipping down his nose, "Stupid kids these days..."

"There was that one thing that Yamusu said to me once-" Mara lifted her shoulders up in curves, hugging her neck line with them. She whispered in the same way the late-goon had used to talk in and repeated, "Logos really likes the Boss. But if he does not act on his feelings than he cannot be any more in love with her than he is with any other woman because love is a two way thing."

"No offense to the dead, but ever heard of 'one-sided love'?" Anomi cracked open a pod and picked at the steamed light green innards, "That's what both Logos and the Boss has. One sided."

"That's so sad though!" Daji put his hands between his knees on the edge of his stool, "I mean, why can't Logos and Leblanc just love each other then everything would be fine! Nooj could find someone else and let the Leblanc Syndicate have its own happily ever after!"

"That's ideal but that's not the way love works," Rouk's crackly voice agitatedly said from his spot on the farthest right end, "Logos and the Boss aren't going to fall in love just because it's the easiest thing to do. This isn't a fairy tale."

Daji spun in his stool, whining out of puckered lips, "Why~Not?~"

"More!" Taji held out his bowl and it was filled again.

"Ah, there's always love letters! If we can just get squinty to write one then I'm sure the Boss will at least come back to say 'What the Hell?' In any case, we can at least get them in the same place!" Anomi rubbed her chin, "Yeah, perfect!"

"Nope," Ormi shook his wide set head, "Logos's got a pride youse know? He ain't gonna do that especially if we's ask 'im. And we's don't want the Boss to come back weirded out!"

"He's probably a write and burn kind of guy anyways," Zizi sighed and pushed a black strand of hair behind her ear, "I don't see him doing that."

Erie blinked slowly, "Ormi, what do you think Logos would be willing to do?"

"Hmmm," Ormi twisted his pursed mouth to the side, his eye brows pushing towards each other in thought, "Well, I's don't know what would work with the Boss. Say, what does the Boss want anyways?"

"Nooj." The girls (and Daji) groaned and muttered in unison.

"Oh yeah," Ormi scratched his scalp and let out a great puff of air, "Well, that doesn't help…Logos ain't no Nooj."

"They should have a fist fight," Zizi intertwined her fingers and rested her elbows on the table top dreamily, letting her chin fall into the top of her netted fingers, "Like in the movies."

Mara turned her face toward the dark-skinned She-Goon, "Who?"

"Logos and Nooj." Zizi romantically swiveled in her stool right to left, her shoulders swinging, "Like a 'duke it out in the sunset for the main girl' type of thing."

"Uhm, Logos would die," Erie busted the image Zizi had in her head by adding a beat up Logos into the mix.

"Well it was worth thinking about, Negative Nelly," Zizi picked up her tea cup and sipped at the very last drops in the bottom.

"The movies!" Mara clapped her hands, "I love guys in movies. They always say the right things and do the-"

"Best stay away from that," Rouk used his finger to spread the ring of condensation from Nago's iced tea glass into random shapes, "After all, the gunner had his chance with the movie scene 'stop the girl from leaving' remember? He blew it to smithereens with his half assing."

"HE COULD'VE AT LEAST SAID 'STAY WITH ME', DAMNIT!" Anomi pounded the counter with aggravated slams, moving the dishes around the counter with her rattles.

"He should've," Nago nodded in agreement, "Maybe we should make him note cards next time?"

"Oh, how romantic would that be if he was just holding note cards in his hands when he finally confessed," Erie rolled her eyes, "Seriously, I know it's hard but he must've thought out what to say a little!"

"He probably choked," Zizi sighed and grabbed Erie's tea, drinking from it, "Or wussed out, plain and simple."

"Another one, please." Taji, his cheek bulging with noodles held out the blue lined bowl for another serving.

"I wonder what the Boss's and Logos's kid would look like," Mara closed her eyes and tried to picture it.

"I can't see Logos a daddy at all," Anomi shook her head, "Nope, way too weird."

"If they get together, no, if he gets together with anyone for more than a couple of months than it is bound to happen." Erie scoffed, "I'm surprised it already hasn't!"

"Condom?" Anomi slid Nago's drink toward her and sipped from the straw.

"Ew! Change subject! Change Subject!" Daji plugged his ears and tried to shake images from his head.

"The kid would be probably more like Logos," Rouk tapped his fingers on the counter, "He is the one with the more dominant genes after all."

"Really?" Daji popped the fingers from his ears and leaned over the counter to stare down the line.

The doctor shrugged, "Of course, darker hair is more dominant. Or course unless he has blond genes in him too. Then the baby would have light colored hair. But the chances of that are-hmm, I suppose not to slim but the baby would have squinty eyes like him without a doubt. Well, maybe not so much, but it would show a bit."

"Aww!" Mara blushed and pinched her eyes closed, "How cute! Imagine it with cute little Leblanc cheeks and squinty eyes."

"Black hair,-" Zizi curled her dark hair around her fingers, "-Would look cute wouldn't it?"

"Yeah." Anomi smiled and nodded at the image.

Nago leaned a little bit forward in his seat as Taji burped and asked for another round. The Mr. Goon lifted his light brown brows, "Is that what girls talk about?"

"What do you mean?" Mara pulled on her long rectangle earring, adjusting it to fall straight again before leaving it alone.

"Never mind." Nago shook his head and brushed his long bangs out of his eyes, "But please stop talking about babies."

Zizi and Erie tilted their heads, "Why?"

"It just- every time I hear about someone's kids I just can't help but picture them doing it…" Nago shuddered.

"Oh," Anomi cocked her head to the side and looked up, obviously think about it. She chewed on Nago's straw and muttered from the corner of her mouth, "Not bad."

"Not listening," Daji plugged his ears again.

"Another ramen bowl, please." Taji lifted up his chopsticks and it was only then that Ormi turned his head and notice he was still scarfing down food.

"Taji, how many bowls have youse eaten already?"

"Uhm," Taji rolled his eyes in his sockets, "Fourteen-?"

"Who do youse think has tah pay for it!"

"-Maybe more than that?" Taji rolled his eyes to the other side, the chopsticks between his lips.

"Jeez, why's am I's the fat one, huh?"

* * *

><p>The 'shop' was a tent with a furnace in the back. A slender figure worked at the fire and wiped under the frizzy brown strands of hair that stuck to the tan forehead.<p>

Leblanc gasped despite herself. Catching herself as the woman turned to look at the direction of the sound. She dipped her head a little as an offering of an apology, "Sorry love, I just was a bit surprised at-uhm, well-"

Lyra hurriedly leaned closer to Leblanc and whispered, "Vakida can't talk."

The woman named 'Vakida' turned back to her work, unfazed that two people had walked in. Leblanc leaned toward the shorter woman, mirroring her as she lifted a hand and whispered back, "Why not?"

Lyra ran a fingernail over her throat and Leblanc saw the woman turn back with a red-hot metal piece clamped between heavy iron tongs. Bending and dipping it into a bucket of icy water, Leblanc noticed the horizontal scar against her neck, white in the shadows against the darkened flesh.

"How'd that happen?" Leblanc's voice raised a bit and she cursed herself as the shop woman looked up.

Lyra flinched, before changing the subject quickly, "Oh, Vakida I broke my sword. Could you-?"

Vakida curtly nodded before turning back, her scarred arms exposed from underneath the no-sleeve leather brown vest were working the hammer as the clamp held the metal still. Her body, in all places that skin could be seen, had scars and nicks decorating her light brown surface in whites, light browns, and some in darker than her skin colors.

When turning around again and blowing away her concealing bangs, Leblanc noticed the scars on her face as well. Two stuck out particularly, a wide strawberry colored mark that spread out much like a flower on the whole side of her left face and on her left bicep close to the crook of her neck was a large red-pink star with several points radiating from it.

The broken sword clattered against the metal table. Lyra wiped her hands against her pant legs and chuckled nervously, "Well, thanks Vakida."

She nodded in response to Lyra's words and Leblanc felt Lyra's hand tugging her away from the shop woman quickly.

"Sorry," Lyra bent her head a little as soon as the tent flap fell back over the dark hot shop, "I thought you already knew about her."

"What happened to her?" Leblanc felt a bit of pity for the woman, having such terrible scars and cratered skin.

"An accident, or uhm, several dozen actually." Lyra started to drift away and Leblanc with open ears followed along side, "She and Ruckus work together all the time you see, and you probably found out by now he ain't smart. You know that big scar on her face and the one on her shoulder?"

Leblanc nodded slowly, "Yes, impossible to miss."

"That's from Ruckus not paying attention when he was angry." Lyra shook her head, "I feel sorry for Vakida. Always having to deal with that meat-head and all."

Leblanc felt curiosity peak in her mind, "How'd it happen exactly?"

"I've only heard it from word of mouth so don't hold me on it but-" Lyra's purple eyes darted around before leaning in and dropping her voice, "They say he got mad at Nooj. Nothing big, mind you, just some disagreement about who was going on a particular mission. It just ended with Ruckus having to stay behind and well, the idiot just went berserk. To get his kicks he started tweaking some of his grenades and what not and Vakida was just sitting by him in the shop when it went off."

"It went off?" Leblanc blinked, she saw a few grenades before, Logos had a couple, and though small they had quite some power.

"Yep," Lyra pointed to Leblanc's chest, "Got a nice scar on him -" She moved her hand to her face, her finger pressing into Leblanc's cheek, "And a real good one on her."

"And the other?" Leblanc ran a finger over her neck, "That was from that incident too?"

"No," Lyra turned and started to walk away from where they had stopped in their tracks, "She got that from a mission. Different Ruckus incident. That's why he doesn't use swords anymore."

Leblanc gripped her throat, using her imagination, "Ugh!"

"The rest of the scars isn't his fault so don't think he's out to get her or anything," Lyra shrugged lightly, "He's just her partner so to speak so she just happens to be the one in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Oh," Leblanc shook her head, the thought of a sword glistening with blood shook her up a bit, especially the gripping feeling in her own throat, "That's good then."

Lyra turned and smiled, opening her mouth to change the subject to a lighter one, when she screwed up her face suddenly like something tasted bad, "Don't look now-"

"Hey Queen," Ruckus strode from somewhere near the main tent, "How is it going?"

"Just fine," Leblanc looked his form up and down. How exactly had he felt when he hurt his partner? Did he even care?

"Going to see Vakida?" Lyra bent a little in the middle and smiled devilishly up at him. A aura about her screaming, 'don't mess with me.'

"No," His face turned downward into an ugly frown as his eyes regarded Lyra, "I wasn't."

Something in his eyes flashed, but it could've been something from hate and contempt to perhaps regret. Leblanc couldn't read this man as she could read those in her old nest, but she somewhat latched onto the last with hope.

"Love-Love!" Nia waved and ran up to their sides, "Just the woman I wanted to see! Let's go, can't be late for your own party can you?"

* * *

><p>Yaibal swallowed lightly as he tried to advert his eyes away from Nia and Lyra dancing up on the table. Leblanc chuckled and watched a blush rise up on his cheeks. It wasn't Nia he was staring at either.<p>

The perceptive nephews of Lyra caught the face and Dimitri attacked.

"Someone's got the hots~!"

"Oh, yeah," Braco agreed and pushed up his thick glasses, "Most defiantly."

Yaibal's blush deepened, "S-shouldn't you two be in bed?"

Leblanc shook her head as Dimitri full out laughed and Braco giggled at that poor man's beet-red face. She turned her head and directed her gaze at Nooj, who was just sitting at a table and talking with Elma and Lucil. It would be all to easy to just walk up to him and talk as well, but Leblanc couldn't get herself to move.

That was uncharacteristic of her. After all, why else would she abandon her old life? It was to talk to Nooj more, not just stare at him from across a room. In fact, she talked to him even less now that he was busy with never-ending meetings and preparations.

"Leblanc!" Nia gestured for her to jump up with them on the table, her hips swaying with her coaxing, "We both know that no one else would look sexier than you up here."

Lyra spun around with the pop music from the stereo someone, most likely Hacky, produced for the occasion. Yaibal blushed again as her body dipped down and slowly rose again.

"No, sorry love," Leblanc declined and looked back at the food table that she worked all day making. Nobody gagged she noted, some even went to certain dishes for more, and she smiled as Nooj also had a plate of his own that he was picking at.

What else better to start a conversation?

"So," Leblanc sashayed closer, "Do you like that?"

"Hmm?" Nooj looked down at the plate of food and nodded, "Yes, very much actually."

She beamed, "That' s good, love. After all I worked hard on it."

Nooj must've not heard that she was the one that made it, "Oh?"

"Worked on it all day," Leblanc informed him, "I met Lyra's darling little cousins when they came nosing in too."

Nooj nodded, "They are always begging."

Leblanc felt the respect for Nooj she already had grow bigger as she found out that he knew his men as she had known her own, "I didn't mind it much. I even gave them a few tastes of things."

"They're spoiled," Nooj smiled a bit at the very corners of his lips, "But I think Lyra is the only one that cares that they are."

"A shared crime?" Leblanc held back her urge to laugh, the feeling of goodness that came to her when things were going well filling her chest.

Nooj chuckled a bit, deep, rare, and almost secret sounding in his throat, "Well, they are the youngest here and the men like them."

Leblanc felt herself smile bigger, "I can see wh-!"

Something crashed behind her and Nooj's attention snapped forward, he rose slowly and started to limp toward where Lyra had fallen through the table.

Leblanc sighed, _oh Lady Luck why do you hate me? _

"Ow, ow, ow, ow," Lyra let Yaibal take her hands, her bottom sticking through the table top, "Not really strong tables huh? Or I'm just fat."

"You ain't fat, Aunt Lyra." Dimitri pushed on her back from behind, "Whoa! You are heavy!"

Lyra let a growl escape her throat, "What was that brat?"

Braco tugged on her uniform to free her rear from the splintering wood fully, "There you go, Auntie Lyra."

Brushing off her backside, she looked dismally down at the table, "Oh, I'll fix that in the morning."

Nia, seemingly holding in up until then, broke out into a drunken laugh, for she already had more than her fill, "Yes~! That was great!"

"That's not nice, Nia," Hacky, with the same drunken face, leaned closer. Even as Nia was standing on a table, his head was equal with hers.

"Screw off, it was hilarious," Nia hiccupped and fell forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, "You just don't know how to laugh, Hacky."

Lyra pretended to puke and stuck a finger in her wide opened mouth, earning a few chuckles from her nephews.

Nooj smiled a bit behind his silver rimmed glasses and made his way back to his seat. But by then the conversation about food and Lyra's nephews was already done.

"Leblanc." His smooth voice called her over, as she had yet to leave the broken table in knowledge that she had nothing to say to him.

"Y-yes, love?" She found herself a bit surprised that he had asked for her. She neared and he leaned in towards her a bit.

"Do you think that Logos would continue trading spheres with us?"

"I don't see why not," Leblanc smiled, "After all, spheres are spheres, and buyers are buyers. Maybe I oh, uhm, we, can convince him to continue to give them away for free too maybe." Leblanc was certain he would do anything for her still if she asked.

"Would you mind going over there for me to inquire about it?" Nooj smiled pleasantly enough but an icy chill crept over her skin, and he noticed, "Or I could send someone else if it troubles you."

"No!" She rubbed her arms, "I'd-"

"I'll understand if you don't want to go back at this moment," Nooj lifted his hand to stop her from talking, "Hurried goodbyes aren't easy. I know that."

"Yes, love," Leblanc sighed and let her shoulders fall. She really didn't want to go back, not quite yet, because a fear that she won't be able to leave again struck her when she thought of it. But at the same time her insides fought with her mind. She wanted to see them, share with them her progress, or even in existent progress, and see them laugh. But she saw the dreaded image of their blubbering faces too.

"I'll send Elma to ask about it," Nooj looked at the drunken pair, Nia and Hacky, and smiled dimly, "Well, aren't they having the most fun?"

Leblanc turned to her attention to them, "Maybe it's because they're drinking."

"And why aren't you?" Nooj picked up a glass of his own and sipped from it, "I allowed this party in your honor of joining after all. Upon Elma and a few other's suggestions of course, but I wouldn't allow it with just anyone."

Leblanc felt herself beam, and her face must've blushed, "Thank you, love, I think I will."

She sat down at the table and picked up a glass that no one had touched yet. She gulped three large mouthfuls before setting it back down and sighing. Behind her someone put their hands on her shoulders and she tensed up. Looking up, Nia smiled down.

"W-why so's tense-there, Love-Love?" Nia blurted out loud and drunkenly, having difficulty talking, and squeezed her shoulders a bit painfully, "Aren't you havin' fun?"

"Plenty," Leblanc relaxed and smiled, "But it looks like to me you're having the most fun."

"Damn right I am!" Nia laughed boisterously, "G'urd food, Love-Love. And g'reat drinks, what more to make a g'urd party?"

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Leblanc smiled as Nia just skipped off into Hacky's side without hearing her, "Bye then, love."

Nooj permitted himself to chuckle a bit again, "Well, it appears she's too far gone."

"Looks that way," Leblanc picked up the drink again, "I'm thinking about joining her."

"That so?" Nooj picked up his own and lightly bobbed it in the air, "I wish I could allow myself to do that also, but as it is I cannot."

"Sorry," Leblanc shrugged a bit, "But I don't think that I can handle much more of this without it."

"Oh?"

"Ha, Nia and Hacky are affectionate," Leblanc turned her head to the side, "And Yaibal is just wishing he was with Lyra."

"It appears that way," Nooj looked out of the corner of his eyes at them all.

Leblanc slowly blinked, staring at only him. Her face must've started to become pink by now again so she had no shame in a blush rising in her face. He didn't seem to notice at all.

* * *

><p>"It's adorable," Leblanc yawned, many drinks later, and looked at the scene, slowly dying now, " Nia and Hacky went back together."<p>

"Nothing will probably happen," Lyra tipped a stemmed glass on it's side, allowing herself a drink finally after her nephews slept in a huddle on the floor nearby with Yaibal, who the two managed to knock out in a game of rough-n-tumble, "I could bet money on it."

"No sense of romanticism." Leblanc shook her head and looked over at the purple haired woman gently sipping from a champagne glass.

"I suppose I don't but you don't either," Lyra put the glass back onto the table, "Why didn't you leave with Nooj, huh, love?"

"Ha," Leblanc tilted her head back from the mockery on her speech patterns, "Funny Lyra."

"Just here to please," Lyra held out her slender arms into the air at her sides and smiled.

"Isn't everyone?" Leblanc yawned again, drowsiness creeping up on her eyes and her body.

"I hope you enjoyed this as much as everyone else did." Lyra laughed a little, "We don't have much excuse to take a break often."

"Mostly my goons used to take lunch as a break, a big one," Leblanc smiled at the memory of being incredibly angry at Taji for taking an hour to eat and apparently run away without paying the bill in Luca right before the concert she had when the Dullwing Yuna's garment grid was in her hands. Well, it was Taji who made the rest of them unable to pay the bill so they bailed out on it all together, but the other mishaps were still there with him. He barely had enough time to tune up his guitar, put on his custom-made costume his brother put together for him, and get up on the flying platform for the concert to join a wigged Anomi with her bass guitar up around the stage.

"Do you miss them?" Lyra tilted her head and leaned closer, her voice lower.

"A little," Leblanc admitted, "But sometimes I don't think of them at all. Is that a bad thing?"

"Natural I think," Lyra leaned back into her chair, "After all, if all you could think about was one thing than how could you get anything done, right?"

"Yeah." Leblanc sighed, "I suppose you're right."

"So taking a lucky guess, but Nooj is probably occupying the rest of your thoughts?" Lyra grinned wide and showed her canines.

Leblanc nodded, her golden brown eyes half lidding, "A lucky guess love."

"So I'm right?" Lyra smiled when Leblanc nodded, stifling a yawn, "Tired?"

"Yes, very," Leblanc stretched and stood up, "I suppose we should clean-"

"Nah, let's jump the deck now before anyone knows were we we're the last to abandon ship. In fact-" Lyra looked down at Yaibal and her nephews, "Let's leave them overboard here. I hate to bother them when they're sleeping. And on the plus side, when they wake up, Yaibal will be sure to put them to work in cleaning this up while he frets over where everything goes."

Leblanc smiled and turned to leave, her bed roll seeming the most pleasant thing in the world at the moment, "Yes, love."

Though the night held no real fruit in her relationship with Nooj, Leblanc couldn't deny that it had been an interesting night and one that she would particularly remember from her stay in the Youth League.


	5. Protectors

"Chapter 5: Protectors"

* * *

><p>" 'Ey! Logos, we's got's someone from the Youth League up here askin' tah talk to youse!" Ormi hollered down into the basement where once again Logos was working on the oscillo-finder.<p>

The gunner kept checking it for waves that just wasn't there anymore. It wasn't a rare occurrence, sometimes nothing came in and that was fine, usually anyways. But the gunner just kept checking to keep himself busy. The spheres they had collected before were either already sold or sitting in small numbers in their treasury waiting to be sold. For some reason it made Logos nervous though it never did before. Probably because he had to still come up with the means to pay for everyone living there, and the more spheres to sell meant they'd get paid again. Though none of them mentioned it, they hadn't been paid for a while.

Ormi huffed after getting no reply from the gunslinger and the warrior stomped his way down the slope, around the corner, and into the hall where at the end, the metal door closing caught his attention.

"Hey, Logos, don't ignore me," Ormi jutted out his bottom lip and put his hands on his sides, "Hey!"

Behind the door, it was still silent.

"Look Logos, either youse answer me's, or I'm jus' gonna let him come down here to talk to youse! And it smells like piss and pits down here, so's if youse want to have tha'd give that impression for them than-"

"Tell them to go away," Logo's muffled voice slurred through the metal.

Erie slowly walked down the hall, overhearing the booming impossible -**NOT**-to-hear voice that belonged to none other than Ormi yelling in the echoing basement. She stopped in front of the oscillo-room and raised a pierced eyebrow up at the warrior at the top of the slope. She mouth, "Think we should?"

"Yep," Ormi nodded his head, his expression determined and tromped the rest of the way to the room to yank the door open by force, "Not an option, Logos."

"You take care of it!" Logos hissed and unclosed and re closed his fingers from where Ormi yanked the door away from then, "I'm never in a mood to deal with them. It's always been like that."

"Yeah, but youse are the Boss now an' Leblanc ain't here." Ormi jerked his thumb behind him, "Come on Logos, they's ain't gonna wait for youse forever."

"Come on, oh leader," Erie bobbed her hips mockingly, "Let's not keep them waiting. Be responsible."

"Fine, fine-" Logos sighed, "I'm going already."

As his feet shuffled past the two meddlers he muttered under his breath, "_And who really is the Boss around here anyways?"_

Yaibal marveled at the perfectly stacked fruit and stood on his toes to poke the top. It was perfectly in balance, all of it, and Yaibal admired the way that even if one were to go missing, even several, it would still stand. Yaibal experimentally took a few in some places and put them back before he finally went to touch the very top with his fingers.

"What are you doing?" Logos's voice came suddenly from the space where Ormi had descended a few minutes earlier and sounded annoyed if not peeved like he was greatly interrupted and troubled by this sudden and inconvenient call.

"Oh, I uh-AHH!" Yaibal lost his balance and caught it again by grabbing the table, wobbling it and the fruit tower swayed before it leaned and started to topple. "Gahyayaya!"

Yaibal fumbled to catch the fruit as it fell over him but most of it crashed into his torso and knocked him back onto his rear before the rest of the tower thumped onto the floor as the table fell over onto its side with a thud. Plates and cups that had once sat around the fruit shattered against the carpeted floor with a soft crash.

"…Eyuh, sorry, Mr. Logos," Yaibal sat up and some lose apples and pears fell off his chest to thump against the floor and roll away.

Logos rolled his eyes and sighed before his gaze hardened and he curtly spat. "Forget it. What are you here for?"

"I was sent to-" Yaibal rose to his feet, more fruit falling to the floor, "-to-to ask about uh, if you were interested in continuing trading spheres with us or-"

"It's hardly called 'trading' since I get nothing in return from it," Logos sneered, "Unless of course gil is involved then it is called _buying._"

"Oh, I was also asked to inquire about that as well," Yaibal recomposed himself and cleared his throat, "The Meyvn Nooj wonders if you will be wanting a price for spheres now that Lady Leblanc is with us."

Logos flinched before scoffing, "Oh yes, I'm sure he would wonder about that. You are well aware the reason the Leblanc Syndicate gave free spheres to the Meyvn Nooj was because he and Leblanc were…good friends?"

"That's a way of putting it," Yaibal nodded, "But does that mean you will continue giving us free spheres or are they to come at a price now?"

Logos slowly closed his mouth, "That depends if we even stay in business for long."

"Why do you say that?" Yaibal straightened his back. Logos lifted his head and glared at one of the doors in the back and it shut with several goony gasps behind it. Sighing, Logos looked back at Yaibal.

"Many of the goons were only here for the Boss."

"That's Leblanc right?" Yaibal asked and Logos nodded.

"Yes, but many of them were dependent on her." Logos let out a slow breath through his nose, "It is safe to say that I cannot do for them as she did so it's only natural that many of them left. The Leblanc Syndicate isn't stopped by this of course, there's many sphere hunting groups all over Spira with smaller numbers, but we can't run as fast as we used to and the rare spheres we do acquire we aren't in a position to give away for free."

Yaibal looked surprised to hear this, "They left?"

"It doesn't change anything really," Logos waved his hand through the air, almost like he was trying to dismiss the thought, "It's not necessary to have so many. What changes is that we just cannot keep up the exact trading specifications with the Youth League as we had before."

"So you are still interested in trading with us?" Yaibal lowered his chin and sighed in relief when Logos nodded.

"I'm not in a position, for the sake of this business, to say no to anyone willing to buy spheres," Logos raised an eyebrow, "That is if you are willing to buy."

"Money is not a problem," Yaibal beamed, "As for prices, that can be arranged as the spheres' worth is-"

"Yes, yes, I'm well aware on how to conduct such business," Logos flapped his hand in the air to shut Yaibal's mouth, "We aren't hurting so much as you'd think though. We already have several rare spheres if that is what you're interested in now, or perhaps the Youth League is looking for something in particular that we have not yet obtained?"

"If there is anything you have now, then I'll take it back with me," Yaibal, sensing that this was enough agreement for now, shifted his weight readying himself to leave, "Whatever payment is needed, you can send one of your men up to the headquarters to get it."

"Like I said before we're a bit short-handed," Logos narrowed his eyes a bit, "Not that I won't send anybody if that is what it takes to get spheres sold. However, I'm wondering why the Youth League cannot pay visits here for the spheres anymore. It's much more simpler for me that way."

"There has been tensions with New Yevon," Yaibal's voice lowered, "The Praetor Baralai and the New Yevon high officials are at disagreement with each other about alliances with the Youth League. It appears the Praetor can only do so much and there is talk that the New Yevon might make moves to act against us very soon."

Logos peered out of the corner of his tightly pinched eye lids at the young man. Yaibal went on, not noticing the gunner tense up.

"It's a relief to know that at least the Praetor wants to be friendly with us," Yaibal's eyes trailed down the carpet, "Though, I guess that alone isn't enough to make the two factions peaceful is it?"

"No," Logos's voice startled the Youth Leaguer because he didn't expect him to answer. The gunner noted the start he gave Yaibal before looking away, "I suppose that is a good enough reason. You'll be quite busy in the days to come now won't you?"

"Uhm," Yaibal caught his words in his throat, "T-that's right. Your spheres will be greatly appreciated. Your contribution will not go unnoticed by the Meyvn, I assure you-"

"No need for that," Logos turned back to the door in the back of the room, the ones that weren't hidden, and again it snapped shut, " It's not necessary. I'll send someone very soon, expect it please."

Yaibal leaned back a little, straightening his posture more, and stared for a second before nodding, "Yes, yes, we'll do that."

After the Youth Leaguer left, running down through Guadosalam to swiftly return back to the headquarters he left that may be attacked at any moment. Logos blinked after hearing the front door shut and turned on his feet toward the doors in the back.

"GOONS!"

There was movement behind the door, he heard it, and even caught traces behind the other one. Logos turned his mouth into a twisted frown, "Goons! I'm only asking for you to come out one more time before I start firing at those doors you're hiding behind."

He wouldn't, and they probably knew it, but the tone in his voice was enough to get across that he was angry, something he was a lot lately.

The door with the least amount of sound behind it before opened, on the left side of the room, and an old man with graying black hair grumbled his way out of it.

"Don't be such a bully to them," Rouk closed one of his eyes. His wrinkles at the edges that had started to form crinkled upwards with it, and his other light gray eye stared at the gunner, "It isn't a wonder why everyone's quitting left and right. You're scaring the Hell out of them."

"Mind your own business old man," Logos hissed and glared through the wood of the other door at the goons hiding behind it, "I actually remember you clearly saying that if Leblanc ever really left you'd leave yourself. Back when she went missing you told Taji that. What's stopping you now?"

"Do you want me to leave that badly, Squinty?" Rouk crackling voice raised a little, "I figure being about your only good doctor left I should stay for your sake."

"Well, thank you for that much consideration," Logos lifted the corner of his lip in a part snarl, "But you're not obligated to anything, so if you don't like it here than-"

"Oh grow the Hell up, gunslinger," Rouk opened his other eye and rolled them both, "You got to be kidding me! Just because the Boss decided to start up a new life somewhere else doesn't mean you have to be an ass about it. Sure, the Youth League seems to be in a bit of trouble, not anything they can't handle though. Really, I'm sure the Boss wasn't so stupid as to think that there wouldn't be any danger with it. It's not really anymore dangerous than what she did here!"

"She doesn't have us to protect her!" Following Logos's words, there was a loud crack that echoed in the grimly silent room, and the gunner's neck jerked to the side, "Ghk!"

Rouk drew back his fist again as the goons behind the cracked door gasped from the sound they heard. The old doctor frowned and held his fist back, "You know I'm getting tired of slugging you in the face, gunslinger."

Gripping his jaw, Logos spun his head around, his eyes flaring, "Well, I'm getting tired of being slugged in the face! What was that for!?"

"Toughen up you baby. Protect her? Come on, she protected you dumb-ass," Rouk's fist shot out again and was caught by Logos's free hand.

"Don't make me hurt you old man," Logos narrowed his eyes as he gave his warning.

Rouk tugged back on his arm and Logos freed it, "Oh? Go ahead and try it gunner."

Rouk made a swipe for his face again and Logos took a step back to avoid it making contact with his chin. Rouk stepped forward and brought a flat palm into Logos's stomach, and with a gasp of air and a curse, Logos caught the other fist that Rouk threw at him.

Rouk jerked his arm, but Logos didn't let go.

"Stop it old man, before you hurt yourself."

"I have the intention of hurting you instead," Rouk growled and brought his other hand, still in a flat palm, against Logos' outer elbow. The gunner let his grip go and Rouk drew the hand away before going for his face again.

Logos side stepped and hissed, "Quit it!"

Rouk spun on his heel and sent a roundhouse kick for the gunner's legs. Logos jumped over them and then let out a snarl-like sound when the Dr. Goon's knuckles cracked into his cheekbone.

Logos took a couple steps back and held his face, "Old man, what the Hell is this even about!"

"You're pissing me off!" Rouk balled his fist and gritted his teeth so hard they nearly creaked against each other, "These kids don't know what to do about you, and honestly there's nothing to do. But you-you-"

Rouk looked at the door and Logos trailed his gaze over there to see Taji and Daji stick their heads back into the door while the other goons that made noises behind the door mumbled and the sound met the two men's ears.

Logos turned back just in time to see the Dr. Goon run at him again. Shuffling his feet back, Logos moved to avoid Rouk who hurled his body into him and gripped around his torso. With an escaped breath, Logos grabbed the back of Rouk's dark blue coat before slamming an elbow into his back to get him away from him.

A pain shot through his ribs and the gunner looked down to see Rouk had jammed two fingers into his side before grasping at him again.

"I'm your doctor idiot," Rouk threw a punch into the same place, "I know where you hurt!"

"That was low old man!" Logos pushed against his shoulders and tossed him away before feeling the dull ache in his side and gripping it, "What was even from?"

"Remember that time you, Ormi, and the Boss ran into the bandits on that little stretch by the Moonflow?" Rouk let off a cackling laugh with his hoarse voice, "You got swiped at by some Ruffian from behind remember gunslinger? I told you that it wouldn't leave a scar but it sure as Hell hurts when you put pressure on it specifically doesn't it?"

Logos forced his hand to lower from his side, "That was completely-"

"Conceited?" Rouk frowned before the gunner noticed his huffing, "You think you can protect her better than Nooj?"

"What was that?" Logos clearly snapped before lowering his arms, "Look old man, I don't have time to-"

"No, I guess you're too busy moping aren't you?" Rouk coughed a little and gulped in needed air, "You're just like the Boss when Nooj went missing, except she had the guts to chase after him! Look at you! You know you can give her what she wants but you are too cowardly to try! The Goons are trying more than you!"

"I don't have the right to ask her to stay," Logos shook his head, "I never did! None of us do. She's her own person and-"

"If that's the case than nobody in this world in all of time has the right to ask anyone to stay with them." Rouk sighed, "That's saying the entire world runs off of whims and no consideration for others. There is no harm in asking gunslinger. Be selfish! You are in everything else!"

"Well it's too late now, I can't ask her to come back-" Logos looked down at the floor defeated, "She wouldn't come back if we simply asked her to-"

"Err! Stop that! If you really believe that than tell it to them!" Rouk pointed at the door that slammed shut with a squeak from someone, "Tell Taji and Daji that the Boss never cared about them. Tell them to their blubbering faces that she never thought about their feelings in all this. Go on and do that you cruel bastard."

"I would never tell those two idiots that!" Logos leaned forward with bared teeth, "You're the sadistic bastard who always scares the Hell out of them when they're hurt. Why am I the cruel one?"

"You're scaring the Hell out of them now!" Rouk roared and fell into a coughing fit. He slowly rubbed his chest, "Ugh…"

"You're not dying old man are you?" Logos showed concern on his face, but his voice was still laced with anger, "You better not after saying all that to me."

"I'll never die until you go and bring the Boss back," Rouk patted his chest, "She'll only come back if you ask."

"Why me?" Logos's head sank a little, "Why do I have to?"

"Don't you want too?" Daji looked out from behind the door.

Logos looked at his covered face before looking at the floor, "I don't have time for this."

"Oh?" Rouk lifted one of his eyebrows, "What's more important than this?" The old man caught the gunner's sleeve as he went to leave. "No, you stay. You answer his question."

"Yes, I want to, but I can't." Logos looked over at Rouk, "Happy now?"

"No." Rouk shook his head, before slowly letting go of his sleeve, "You can, you have too. You're the Boss now Logos. Maybe before she really left, maybe the rest of us should've done something. We should've got her ourselves but- well, we always thought you could do whatever it took to keep this place together. It was wrong of us to push it all on you but too late for that. You really are the only one now because she won't come back if she knows it's all taken care of."

"It's not," Logos frowned, "I'm doing a piss-poor job of it."

"No you're not and that's what bothers the Hell outta me," Rouk crossed his arms tightly against his torso, "In a horrible way, we don't need her. But we really do at the same time."

"What are you rambling about old man?" Logos turned his back and started going for the front door.

"Don't go," Rouk snorted a little and turned his head, "That's all you had to say. Oh, and it wouldn't of hurt to throw out something else."

"Shut up, I'm starting to tire of this," Logos looked over his shoulder and glowered at the sadistically smiling face.

Rouk tilted his head, "Oh, **you're** getting tired of this? I'm getting tired too you know, and a lot faster. Just watching sniveling idiots at work tires me out."

"An idiot?" Logos let out a loud laugh, a slurring thing in the back of his throat, which spooked everyone there in a weird way that they couldn't explain, "Yes, I am a sniveling idiot, so what!? What do you want me to do about it?"

"All you have to do is go after her, Hero. If you don't, you're just going to lose without a fight. If you love her, fight for her or you're just going to lose of course!"

"It wouldn't matter," Logos felt the doctor grip his actual arm now instead of his sleeve and he yanked his arm to free it, but to no avail. He jerked harder and realized either he had no strength left or the doctor was stronger than he look. He sighed and muttered under his breath, "I'm not a hero, I can't win."

"At least then you'd come back after a fight," Rouk jerked his arm back and made him step back more into the living room, "This isn't a fairy tale Logos, heroes don't always win. But damnit they aren't heroes without trying! If you want to be a hero, to the Boss, to the Goons, to yourself or anyone! You're going to have to have to at least ask the Boss to come back."

"And what about my feelings you all are preying off of?" Logos smirked and then slowly dropped it when the doctor looked at him seriously.

"What do I care about your petty feelings? If you don't do anything about it than that's your own business," Rouk slowly loosened his grip, "If you just want it to be a 'crush' your whole life than what's that got to do with me? But I want the Boss back and like I said before, she won't come back if she thinks that you have everything in control."

"I can't tell her everything is out of control because it's not."

"No, but you can ask her to come back. Nicely. Because the Goons and you _want_ her back. You want to protect her don't you? Than get her before something bad happens!"

"And if she says no?" Logos looked back, "What then?"

"You'll come back." Rouk leaned back and slowly nodded, "You'll be a defeated and tragic hero sure, but a hero just the same."

Logos let out a slow breath through his nose again and the doctor added with a grin.

"Better than a sniveling idiot right?"

* * *

><p>"Dimitri that isn't fair!" Braco chased after his cousin and flailed his arms for his glasses, "I can't even see them in your hand!"<p>

Dimitri turned around and ran backwards to taunt his near-sighted cousin. He flapped his fingers around his head and continued to taunt, "Nyeh! Nyeh! Nyea- huh?"

Leblanc snatched the glasses up after Dimitri's back ran into her, "That's not nice, love."

"Oh, sorry Miss Leblanc," Dimitri sheepishly grinned before zipping away after Braco. Leblanc put the glasses on a crate and stepped back, after a couple of seconds, the two boys shot past, the first grabbing the glasses in his skinny hand.

"Hey!" Braco picked up his pace.

Nooj let out a chuckle before leaning heavily on his cane, "They're prepared aren't they?"

Word that New Yevon was actually launching an attack against them caught fast and as they spoke everyone was busying themselves with necessary preparations.

"I'll see if Yaibal is back," Leblanc took a step toward the elevator, "I'm sure he'll want help if he runs into any Yevonites or just some fiends."

"Be careful," Nooj's voice carried against the wind as the sky was darkening. It looked like rain.

"I will, love." Leblanc lifted her hand into the air before making her way to the dirty cliff side with the elevator. She heard a clang of feet as she pulled the lever and noticed two others had joined her.

"Hiya!" Nia smiled and waved her hand, "Can't let you go down there all along can we?"

Hacky smiled also and lifted his hand up in greeting.

"I'm sure I could've handled it," The elevator had already started making its descent downward. Leblanc shrugged her shoulders a little and then looked at the two Youth Leaguers out of the bottom of her eyes as she stuck her chin up, "So what happened with you two?"

Nia shrugged her shoulders too, "Nothing. Jeez, I'm starting to think you want us to get together."

"No, I don't," Leblanc shook her head, thinking, _But you seem to want to yourselves._

"Oh, you're making me blush, Love-Love," Hacky leaned against the middle mechanism of the elevator, "Do you want me to find happiness?"

Leblanc laughed, "Oh, of course."

"Hey, who's that?" Nia pointed out down the round-topped rocks and Leblanc swiveled her head to look. Yaibal was coming up but not to far behind him was a darker shape trailing him.

"Yaibal!" Hacky jumped from the elevator before it fully made its way down, "Yaibal behind you!"

Yaibal flinched before turning around and drawing out his sword. Yaibal swung, aiming for the upper part of the body. The dark shaped flinched before hopping back from its end. Hacky finally jumped the last couple of feet from the second lift and drew his long blade to throw a thrust toward the man's torso himself.

"Step back!" Nia called to them from the top of the rise as Leblanc started to chant, sparks forming over her head against her lifted hands.

"THUNDAGA!"

"WAIT BOSS!" Logos threw up his hand in the darkness of the road and the light from the spell caught his action before it made contact. His body jolted before he flopped onto his back with a tingling sensation through his veins.

Leblanc covered her mouth before jumping down onto the lift and stomping on the middle, willing it to go faster. She jumped the last couple of feet as Hacky had and ran to the dark-blue coated gunner who stayed on the ground.

"Are you alright, love?" Leblanc thumped his side with her foot, "I know you've had worse but I hope you're not hurt."

"F-fine," Logos blinked and shook his head, still trying to regain his former senses, "How are you, Boss?"

Leblanc laughed lightly and rolled her eyes, "What type of question is that?"

Nia smiled, "What's up, Leblanc Syndicate…guy?"

Logos seemed to notice them for the first time and lifted himself up from the ground using his elbows, "Erm, just here on business really."

Everyone looked at Yaibal and the youth shrugged and looked down at Logos, who was slowly rising up, "That was fast."

"I work fast," Logos brushed the black from his coat, "I assumed you knew I had caught up with you since the Mi'ihen gate."

"No I didn't," Yaibal opened his eyes wider before slapping the back of his head, "I guess I wasn't listening behind me."

"You better start," Logos looked up through the top of his eyelids, "If I was a Yevonite Assassin you'd be dead."

Yaibal really took it in and shivered, "I'll make a point of it from now on."

"So," Leblanc interrupted the creepy talk with a firm voice, "What are you doing up here, Logos?"

Logos shifted his weight and chewed on his words. After a while he sighed and looked down, "The Meyvn Nooj was interested in some spheres. I'm here to finish the transaction…"

"Oh," Leblanc lowered her shoulders, "Then come with us, now that Yaibal is back, we'll just walk up together."

Logos opened his mouth, staring at her, before snapping it shut. Leblanc raised her eyebrow then lowered it and turned to leave. Logos watched the rest of the Youth Leaguers leave before slowly taking his first step after them.

Logos dragged his feet and followed behind all of them. Leblanc peered over her shoulder once or twice, but didn't question why he did it. He always had a problem with strangers, and he was most comfortable walking behind her where he could see her. But now it seemed odd that he was behind her at all, seeing that he could just as easily walk beside her.

The sky had turned completely dark when the elevator finally clicked into place. Usually, what sunlight you could get on the Mushroom Rock was concentrated here no matter what, but as rain started to pour down, no light could be found and the deeper part of the ravine was plunged into pitch blackness.

Logos was shoved away from Leblanc by some Youth Leaguers that was going to take him to Nooj. He looked behind him and Leblanc smiled and waved before going off to finish some much needed preparations for Nooj that had yet to be completed.

* * *

><p>"Hmm," Nooj looked at reddish sphere, "Another secret of Yevon-" He sighed.<p>

"They keep coming," Logos nodded dully, the edge of his helmet dripping onto the floor of the main tent, "So I hope business will be good between us, though I doubt I personally will make the trip out here. Most likely you'll be seeing a lot more of Ormi and a goon named Nago if that doesn't bother you."

Nooj shook his head, "No it doesn't."

Logos had his usual deep frown and in the silence that followed the Meyvn's last comment, as Nooj looked over the sphere again, it didn't change in the slightest.

Logos turned to look at the tent flap swishing open and looked away to ignore the red-clad Elma bringing in towels. Elma held it out, pushing it into his peripheral vision, before he lifted his hand to take it and wipe down his rain soaked coat.

The sphere continued to hum in the background as Logos loosened the chin band that held his hood in place, which held the helmet in place, and started to wipe at the black strands of hair that clung to his wet forehead. The damn helmet never could keep out water.

The sphere finally finished with a shutting down whir and Nooj lifted his head, "How much are you offering this for?"

"2000 gil," Logos flopped the towel over his head and started to violently shake his hair through the cloth, "Starting out. That isn't a particularly rare one either, it may raise up later on. The date on it isn't terribly old, perhaps within the last hundred years."

Logos let the towel fall around his shoulders before reaching in his coat and pulling out a damp paper. Carefully unfolding it, he pushed the paper across the table to Nooj with one hand and wiped his neck with the towel in the other.

Nooj looked at the data printed on the paper and nodded, "Seems reasonable."

"How is the Boss doing here?" Logos sideways glanced the ground when the Meyvn looked up at him. The gunner snorted a little in his throat before mumbling, "Just out of curiosity."

"I'd say well enough," Nooj sat straighter in the chair behind the meeting table, "Though I think it's something you should ask her yourself if you want a true answer."

Logos shook his head, "I should be getting back to Guadosalam. Those idiots there can't handle the privilege of a free day without destroying something or other accidentally."

"You're not here to see Leblanc?" Nooj caught Logos's raising head in a stare, "I was almost sure that was what you were really doing here in the first place."

"Not me, but the Goons later on will be more than pleased to chat a little with her," Logos edged away from the steady stare, "What exactly are you looking at, Meyvn?"

"Leblanc was right when she told me that her gunner was a terrible liar," Nooj looked amused for the moment.

Logos's frown deepened, "I'm sure she tells you a lot of things."

"We are friends," Nooj looked to the table and dipped his head to the side a little, "Considering everything."

Logos sighed in relief inwardly but then corrected himself. It wasn't nice to be glad that the Boss's wanted love relations have gone nowhere. But then again, he wasn't really a nice guy himself.

"I trust that you'll contact us if you are interested in another sphere," Logos turned back to the door but was stopped temporarily by the Meyvn's voice.

"Contact Lucil about the gil, she should be somewhere near the canons on your way out."

Logos felt a strange sickness in his gut, "The first one will be free, for your generous patronage."

"Thank you," Nooj politely dipped his head but the gunner did not see this as the tent flap swayed with his leaving.

Nia nudged Leblanc's side, "Your gunner's leaving."

"Oh?" Leblanc turned to look at Logos making his way across the camp before shaking her head at her friend, "He's not _my _gunner."

Nia shrugged "Whatever, are you going to say bye to him?"

"If he comes over here himself maybe," Leblanc stuck her nose in the air and lifted her hands to the canons.

"Okay," Nia smiled and laughed lightly, "Prepare to say bye, Love-Love."

"Boss."

"Ah!" Leblanc whirled around, "How is it you walk so fast?"

It took him no time at all to get from a distance to right behind her.

"Long legs?" Nia looked Logos up and down and playfully nudged Leblanc. Leblanc swatted her hands away from her and stared up at her former second in command.

"How did it go?"

"Fine," Logos rubbed the back of his still damp neck and shifted. The rain spurts had died, though by the sky it might pick up again any minute, "Boss…uhm, could it be possible for me to talk to you?"

"We're talking now, love, and you don't have to call me Boss anymore remember?" Leblanc caught Nia inwardly laughing at her through her sparkling eyes.

"Oh? Alone?" Nia looked at Logos and the gunner adjusted his weight.

"Preferably," Logos lowered his eyebrows closer to his eyes, "Unless of course you have a need to listen to other people's private conversations."

"I'm leaving," Nia raised her hands in the air and hopped down from the canon she was sitting on, a smile still on her face. "Let me know when you two are done catching up."

"There's hardly any catching up to do," Leblanc shot back, "I just saw him three weeks ago."

"A lot can happen in three weeks," Logos dully smiled when she looked up from Nia's retreating back, "Well-not that anything major is going on with us in Guadosalam, erm, but it seems you're about to be busy yourself."

"Maybe," Leblanc flipped her wet hair and then looked around to note that no annoyances were drawing nearer to listen in, "That wasn't nice with Nia, Logos."

Logos lifted his shoulders before looking in the direction the Youth Leaguer had gone, "Oh, right, I'll apologize if you want me too."

"It's your business," Leblanc sighed before curling the corner of her lips, "I'm not your Boss anymore, Logos." She reminded him, "You can relax a little. I was always curious how you acted when you relax."

"Heh," His shoulders were still stiffened even as he rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath, "I never can get myself to relax. It's hopeless…" His eyes lidded over as he finished his last sentence.

Leblanc smiled, determined to make this a 'cheery' moment and the complete opposite of the farewell they had weeks before. Changing the subject when Logos looked up at her, Leblanc asked, "So everything is going great up with the Goons, right love?"

"Well-" Logos drawled the word before lowering his voice awkwardly, "They miss your leadership and hate mine."

"I'm sure they don't hate you," Leblanc laughed a little, "Aren't you overreacting?"

Logos sighed at Leblanc's eyes. They begged for good news from 'home', since things weren't going so well at the headquarters or her wished love life with Nooj.

"Perhaps a little," Logos raised up a palm and shook it, "Generally everything is just fine."

Leblanc smile widened on her small lips, "That's good to hear." Logos caught the relieved sigh at the end.

"Boss, everything is fine back home but- hrm, well-" Logos fumbled with his words again, cursing that he was tongue-tied. Why could he never find the right words with this woman but spout them in over abundance for everyone else?

"Spit it out," Leblanc spoke in her authoritative and firm tone that she used when telling them to 'stop sniveling' or to toughen up like she used too.

"I-no, the Goons were wondering if you might want to-," Logos paused to swallow, "Erm, if you might want to c-come back anyways…"

Leblanc shook her head, looking at the ground, "Logos…"

The gunner nervously laughed, "Well, to say that things are going fine is truth, we're not useless after all but, uh, we are a bit senseless you know. It would defiantly be better with you-"

"I'm not coming back."

Logos swallowed again, his words falling into the pit of his sick gut, "No, that's- I shouldn't have even-."

"I'll visit though, okay?" Leblanc sensed his downward plunge in emotion, "Sorry, I probably will make the goons cry again."

Logos shook his hand, "Oh, don't worry, I was really the only one wanting you to come back really." He managed a laugh, a quick one, in his throat, "I can be a bit of a baby sometimes. Everyone's adjusting fine but they still miss you. I'm sure the visits will do them well, I'll just-"

Leblanc could always tell when he was lying, but she didn't call him out on it, "Sorry, to disappoint you Logos."

"Not at all," He shook his head, looking down, "Just, don't bother visiting us. We'll come to you because of this sphere business with Nooj."

"Oh? So you made a deal?" Leblanc smiled, hoping that the news would lighten the mood, "That's good."

"Yes," Logos wouldn't look at her and deliberately turned his head when she leaned down, "You'll probably see more of Ormi and the Goons though. With the new H.E.A.R.T. system I have a lot to do at home."

"Logos-" Leblanc reached out when he turned to leave, her fingers grasped nothing and she watched his blue slouched back disappear down the muddy slope to the elevator. She wanted to walk after him, storm and scream at him for leaving abruptly, but she didn't.


	6. Sick

"Chapter 6: Sick"

* * *

><p>Leblanc bit her lip, deep in thought. A part of her wanted to go home, badly, and another part knew that if she did, she might not ever leave again.<p>

She was older now, she wasn't a child, and change wasn't something to be scared of. She could still have them as friends, she could still talk to them and see them, it wasn't like this was the end of everything.

She had adjusted fine to the Youth League, and her compulsive controlling attitude had gotten a lot better. It was almost healthy to be here. Not to mention her heart didn't ache for Nooj as badly when she was here, close to him.

Though her heart did ache for her familiar room she didn't ache for her friends anymore. After all, Logos said himself that they'd visit her, and probably a lot as the Youth League was still determined as ever to uncover the secrets of Yevon and they had the spheres.

Still though, her heart still had an ache, and she didn't know where it came from. It probably was for the way Logos sniveled but she usually was just angry at that.

Leblanc looked up from the muddy ground as the first drops of fat rain started to fall again.

Nia slowly made her way back to her, "That didn't look pretty…"

"It's fine," Leblanc turned back to the canon, making sure the powder stayed dry, "He's just being a baby."

"What did he want to say?" Nia leaned closer to Leblanc's back, "Huh, Love-Love?"

"He misses me and wants me to come home," Leblanc sighed, "I can't though…I'm making a life here and that's that. They'll visit me, it's not the end."

"Yeah," Nia encouragingly nudged into her, "That's the way to think about it. Don't be so sad, everyone will cheer up in time."

Leblanc smiled and peeked toward the elevator, "I hope so."

The rain started to streak the sky before the canon's were all covered and they two woman made their way back to their tents. Lyra caught them on their way over, "Hey!"

"What?" Leblanc and Nia both looked under their arms that blocked the rain from their face.

"Come to the workshop with me," Lyra wagged her hand, "It's warmer in there."

Yaibal was already two steps behind her, "Commander Lucil and Commander Elma already said that it would be fine until the weather turns into more favorable conditions."

"Well, that's nice," Leblanc smiled at his overenthusiastic way that he relayed messages from the commanding officers, "Let's go then."

The four made their way to the workshop, picking up Hacky on the way, before they opened the tent flap and humid air from the stove instantly hit their chilled bodies and faces.

"Woo!" Lyra shook her purple hair free from droplets of water. Vakida lifted her head when they entered and much to their displeasure, so did Ruckus.

"Yo," Ruckus lifted his hand from where he sat closest to the stove.

"…yo…" Hacky-Sack looked at his strange smile, sensing danger, "So, what's going on?"

"I wanted to get out of the damn rain," Ruckus was damp, like the rest of them, and he scooted closer to the furnace. He smiled wider at Leblanc, "Hey, I saw your gunner earlier."

"Oh?" Leblanc squeezed the end of her blonde hair, preparing to ignore him soon.

"Yeah," Ruckus showed his white canines, "Why does he always walk like he has a stick up his ass?"

Leblanc glared from the corner of her eyes, "Shut up, Ruckus."

Ruckus laughed, "Isn't it true?"

"The lady said 'shut up'," Hacky lifted his hands defensively as soon as Ruckus stood up. But it didn't seem like the beefy man was going to hit him.

"I heard what she said Hacky-sack," Ruckus narrowed his eyes at him before leaning down toward Leblanc and Nia, "Why so defensive, Queen?"

Nia shot out first, "She probably doesn't want you saying anything bad about her friends you bastard."

"Is that it?" Ruckus was determined to bother Leblanc, "Does the Queen really like the gunner?"

"Shut up," Leblanc pushed past him to the furnace and stuck out her hands towards the warmth. She was determined to be the 'bigger' person. Ruckus laughed but clamped his mouth out right when he caught Vakida's glare from behind the table.

"Heh," Ruckus raised his hands in the air, "I was just kidding, you do know that don't you?"

"Right," Nia rolled her eyes and walked to stand by Leblanc's side.

Vakida lowered her eyes to the sword she was working on the table.

The rain pelted the tent and the steady sound of metal beating upon metal rung through the still air.

* * *

><p>"Tha'd was half-assed," Ormi sat on the bench opposite of Logos's screen in the gunner's room.<p>

"Shut up!" Logos raised the bottle he asked Ormi to bring in earlier to his lips, "I don't want to hear it from you!"

"Then who did youse wanna hear it from?" Ormi blinked slowly and looked down at the carpet under the gunner's bed, "Youse know's youse gotta tell the goons that the Boss ain't coming back…"

"Let me get the courage built up," Logos rubbed his arms, the bottle resting between his knees as he sat on his bed, "Ugh, when I think about all the things they're going to scream at me-"

"Youse are in here tah avoid a headache?" Ormi frowned, "Kind of cowardly, ya know?"

"Damnit just shut up," Logos lifted the bottle to his mouth again, "I'm sick of this!"

Ormi crossed his arms and sarcastically lifted his brows, "Whut? The fact youse ain't told the Boss what youse feel yet or the fact youse can't even bring her back for us?"

"YOU BRING HER BACK IF YOU THINK YOU CAN!" Logos slammed the bottle down onto his knee and a bit of the alcohol within rushed out from the top, spilling into his lap, "Damnit!"

Ormi looked at the images on the screen, glad that the rain wasn't stopping the signal from coming in. Shelinda ran around an also raining Luca, spreading the news of the wetness that over came almost everywhere in Spira except for Zanarkand, Gagazet, and Bevelle, though the last was due for some as the storm passed through Guadosalam and might head toward there soon enough.

For once, this storm hadn't come from the ThunderPlains and it actually came from somewhere off in the sea. Even Bikanel had their spurt of rain, which lasted only an hour but still confused the heck out of them.

The reddish-brown haired woman more than happily endured the rain to bring that news report before the channel took a break so she could head toward some new restaurant in Luca that had just opened to see how the rain affected the business.

"Hmm," Ormi leaned forward from the back of the bench as soon as the news came back on, "Youse know's it ain't all bad right?"

"Right," Logos frowned at the flashing screen and drank more. Hissing at the burning in his throat, he looked up at a knock on the door.

"Whaddaya want?" Ormi got up and punched the 'dismiss' button with his finger and the screen whirred before it returned to the background with him, Logos and the Boss standing side by side with random pop-ups concerning Logos's reminders and schedule gracing it.

"Hey, is Logos back?" Nago's voice piped from behind it.

Ormi looked at the gunner, who laid on his side, his back to him, and curled his arms around his bed's pillow, the bottle full of clear liquid still in the crook of his elbow.

"Whaddaya want?" Ormi repeated.

"How'd it go with the Boss?" Daji's voice joined Nago behind the door.

"Do youse see her?" Ormi moodily kicked the end of Logos's bed to rattle the gunner, who only sneered over his shoulder and returned to his original position.

"Is Logos in there or not?" Taji opened the door anyways not waiting for answer, "Hello, Squinty."

"Hrm," Logos lifted his hand before plopping it back down. Daji followed his brother in and bent down to clean up what the gunner had tossed off and away from him earlier. Daji put the helmet on the table and hung the coat beside the door on a hook. Taji noticed his brother working, looked at the gunner who had closed his eyes, then kicked Logos's discarded shoes under the table. Daji put the looped belts on the bench under the screen and lifted with some difficulty the gun belt that still had the heavy metal revolvers holstered.

Ormi shook his head at Logos and left.

Daji finished wounding up the white strips of cloth into a neat roll and put them on the table also before realizing his brother was leaning over the gunner.

"What are you doing, _pnudran_?" Daji put his hands on his hips and stared at his brother.

Logos was actually sleeping, his chest rising under his tight Yevon marked undershirt, and his legs were slightly curled towards his body under the comforter, which showed his bare feet from under the edge. His brother slipped the bottle from Logos's elbow, holding his breath. Logos shifted before opening his eye and grabbing Taji's wrist.

"Don't even think about it," The gunner took the bottle back and put it on the nightstand before rolling over. Taji waited, and when his breathing slowed, he snatched the bottle from the stand and left.

"Brother! Don't drink any of that," Daji whined behind him, "We'll get in trouble!"

"Shove off, I'm almost an adult," Taji opened the top and took a swig from it, coughing as soon as it hit his esophagus, "Ugh!"

"Why are you even drinking that?" Daji put his hands on his hips as his twin took more tentative sips, "You know Leblanc doesn't like it when we don't follow the laws-"

"Look around Daji! Do you see Leblanc around?" Taji spread his arms wide and did a circle, the neck of the bottle still tight in his right hand, "No, I'll do what I want until Logos catches me."

"That's not good," Daji shook his head in dismay, "Taji give me it."

Taji smiled and held it out, "Want some do ya?"

"No!" Daji scrambled to get at it, "But I don't want you drinking anymore of it! What if you get drunk?"

"Than Logos won't know it cuz he'll be out until morning," Taji tilted his head back and drank more, "Man, that's tough stuff to swallow."

"Than why are you drinking it?!" Daji grabbed a hold of the bottom of the bottle and tugged, "Come on Taji, quit it!"

"Try one sip and I'll put it back," Taji held it out toward Daji, "Come on, Goody-Goody."

"No!" Daji released it and crossed his arms, "I refuse to do anything that would make Leblanc sad if she were here!"

"She isn't here," Taji gave his twin a lop-sided grin, and held the bottle out again, "Drink one sip."

Daji sighed, grabbing the neck, "Fine, one and we're done."

"-And we're done," Taji repeated in the way that they had made deals since they were small.

Daji gulped before bringing the moist rim to his lips. Screwing his eyes shut he tilted his head back and took a large bite of the stinging clear liquid.

"See?" Taji took it back, "That was it."

Daji wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "Now put it back!"

Taji sipped from it again, "I will."

"Stop drinking it and just put it back! We made a deal," Daji crossed his arms and Taji shrugged at his brother's impatience.

"I'm going now," Taji turned on his heel, making a big display of it by keeping his feet in the air a second more than needed, and then strolled leisurely down the hall back to the gunner's room, stealing sips from the bottle now that Daji stopped watching him.

He stopped in front of the still open door and then took a large sip of it. Coughing again, he walked in and put the bottle back on the nightstand with a heavy clunk.

"Done already?" Logos looked over his shoulder and Taji yelped.

"D-done with what?" Taji removed his hand from the bottle, "I don't know w-what you're talking-."

"Cut the crap, goon," Logos turned his head back and re closed his eyes, "Take lighter steps if you don't want me catching you."

"Hmph!" Taji picked up the bottle again and made sure that he made enough noise in sipping so the gunner knew what he was doing. After the first harsh sip went down he held in his cough but after the third he had to let it out.

"Small sips idiot," Logos put one hand under his head as he laid on his side, "You're going to hurt yourself."

"Bleah," Taji stuck out his tongue to get the taste off, "Tastes like rubbing alcohol."

"That's because it's cheap," Logos shifted and dug his head deeper into his palm and pillow.

"So," Taji put the bottle back, "You're not going to give me some stupid lecture about underage drinking?"

Logos opened one eye and lazily looked over his shoulder, "Why should I give it? Go ask Rouk instead, he'll rant your ear off about the effects of it. I'm hardly one to talk given that I started drinking at fifteen."

"Really?" Taji's eyes sparkled, "That's so cool!"

"If throwing up at three in the morning and not knowing why you have some man's name written on a piece of paper in your pocket is cool, then sure," The corner's of Logos's lips turned upward, "It's cool."

Taji's eyes faded in their light, "Right…"

Logos rubbed the length of his nose before holding up his hand, stopping Taji from leaving, "You know- if you're mad at me just say it, boy."

"I think you should've brought the Boss back."

"Is that right? Than that puts you, me, and the rest of us on the same boat." Logos let his hand drop to the bed, "But she told me she didn't want to come back, but she'll be more than happy to see you if you visit."

"Can I?" Taji sounded hopeful and child-like.

"Take a handful of spheres so you don't trouble the Meyvn Nooj," Logos breathed out slowly and pulled the blanket under his neck, "And leave me alone for awhile."

Taji was about to leave when he stopped, "Hey, Logos?"

"Good heaven's, what?" Logos opened both his eyes and stared behind him, "Let me sleep."

"When I'm eighteen can I leave?"

"Leave where?" Logos woke up a bit more, "Really you could leave now if you wanted but where would you even want to go?"

"If I join the Youth League then-" Taji swallowed his words when the gunner sat up.

"I'm not going to tell you what you can't and can do, but know this. Joining the Youth League isn't going to make Leblanc your mother anymore than asking her to come back did. She's not your mother and you should stop hoping that she would be," Logos sighed at the crestfallen goon, "For love of- Taji, when you're eighteen your supposed to stop needing a mother."

"I still need her," Taji frowned, "I don't know why but I do."

"Really…" Logos leaned his head down into his hands, "Come on, Taji, it's not like you can't see her ever again, just become…more independent alright?"

Taji's spiral gaze locked on his bent head, "Is that what you're doing?"

Logos sighed, "In the process. For now, I want to sleep."

"Can I have that?" Taji pointed to the cheap alcohol on the table.

"No."

"Why not?"

Logos lifted his head, "It's mine, and anyways, you shouldn't drink just because you're depressed. It might make it worse."

"Says the guy who doesn't drink often with the loaded gun and bottle of booze."

"Says the brat begging to have the bottle of booze so he can get over his mommy-complex."

"Ouch," Taji flinched, "Below the belt there Squinty."

"I don't play fair," Logos grabbed the bottle of the stand, looked at it and noticed the depleted liquid, and took a sip, "Anyways, looks like you've had enough of this for one night."

"It's not that bad," Taji didn't want to show that he already felt like throwing up and let the acids in his stomach churn without showing it on his face, "Its all good. I'm kinda hungry even."

"Go get dinner than," Logos leaned back and bent his elbows behind his head, seeing through Taji's hiding sick face, "If your going to puke don't do it in my room."

"Yes, sir," Taji managed a dopey salute.

The gunner sighed, "I'm tired if you couldn't tell. You're bothering me."

"Sorry," Taji turned to leave before Logos called after him.

"Instead of begging me for alcohol go beg Ormi to take you and the others out for dinner." Logos turned on his side, "Either that or keep it quiet."

With more enthusiasm, Taji saluted, "Yes sir!"

* * *

><p>"Love-Love." Nia shook her in her bed roll, "Yo! Love-Love!"<p>

"What?" Leblanc rubbed her eyes, "I don't want any dinner."

"Come on, why not?" Nia shook her again, coaxing her to get up.

"I think I'm sick," Leblanc croaked in a raggedly cough-stressed voice. She felt the down in her blood, her head ached, her sinuses hurt with pressure, and the thought of food made her stomach start to bubble. There was no thinking about it really, she was sure she was sick.

"With what?" Nia touched her forehead in the ever original and sure way to check if someone's sick, "Huh you do feel warm, think it was all that rain?"

"Probably, love," Leblanc rolled over and sniffed, "Oh, this is terrible. Tell Nooj I'm sorry that-"

"Not a problem," Nia shook her head and rose slowly, "Sleep here and I'll see if I can't get someone to take care of you."

"No that's not-" Leblanc words were cut of by the tent closing as Nia left, "Agh, necessary…"

Leblanc looked at the opening for a few more moments before flopping back down into her bed roll. She was sweating now but she didn't want to leave the blankets in hopes that she would sweat out the sickness.

She suddenly smelled soup and looked at the crack of afternoon lit sun that widened with someone's entry. Vakida balanced a tray between her sturdy scarred hands and she kneeled down to put the tray down by Leblanc's head.

"Hey, love," Leblanc smiled at the mix of smells. Vakida had an apple, soup, a tea of some sort and a jar in the corner. Leblanc hoped the jar wasn't medicine.

Vakida smiled and lifted the jar first. Leblanc voiced her concern, "That's not medicine is it, love?"

Vakida shook her head and grabbed the second spoon she had with her. The jar opened to reveal the sweet smell within and Vakida stuck the spoon down into the golden sticky substance and brought up a scoop of honey and plunged it into the bitter smelling tea. Stirring it in, the tea's horrible color turned lighter and looked more appetizing.

Vakida pushed the cup towards Leblanc who sat up to drink it with a, "Thank you, love."

The workshop woman set herself to peel the apple, though Leblanc didn't know why, and she encouraged with her silent eyes for Leblanc to eat the soup. After a few bites, Leblanc looked cautiously up.

"So, are you going to just stay in here the whole night?"

Vakida nodded.

"Alright then," Leblanc sighed, "I want to know if you can really talk or not."

Vakida paused in her shaving of the apple skin before nodding.

"So you can talk?" Leblanc raised her head up from the soup in her lap.

"Yes…" Vakida was silent still, and her voice raspy and harsh, but it was a voice none the less.

Leblanc smiled, "Why tell me and not everyone?"

"I think I like you," Vakida shook her head, "And I like everyone too but you won't tell anyone that I can talk."

"Why don't you want people to know?" Leblanc took another bite of the soup, her throat hurting still. She took a sip of the tea and her throat relaxed.

"Some of them might know me…" Vakida shook her head, "I'm not what I used to be. I don't want to be known again."

"Again?" Leblanc lifted her eyebrow.

"Never mind," Vakida pushed the peeled apple into Leblanc's hand, "Forget I've ever said anything. I guess you want to sleep so I'll leave you to do that. Once your done eating just push it out of the tent and I'll get it."

"Uhm, thank you love?" Leblanc watched her hurriedly leave.

Later, Vakida didn't come back but Nia did. Leblanc watched the shorter one bustle about and pick up the tray before smiling at her and nodding, "Get better soon."

Even more later, as Leblanc was waking up from sleep, Vakida returned to check on her silently and leave before Leblanc could regain enough sense to ask her anything. Lyra entered in the middle of the night, before Leblanc just went out and asked it.

"What did Vakida do before this?"

"What do you mean?" Lyra pulled up beside her after explaining that Nia had night watch.

"This. The Youth League. You know almost everything there is to know about everyone for some reason Lyra." Leblanc pulled the blanket around her and sat up, "So tell me who Vakida really is."

"She wouldn't want me telling," Lyra shook her head, her long purple hair falling over her front, "Really, Leblanc, it's not something for me to share."

"I can keep a secret," Leblanc smiled when Lyra, only always to glad to share what she knew with trustworthy people, leaned forward.

"She was an actress. Nothing too major, made about four movies before a set accident left her face scarred. You can't really see it anymore though, since Ruckus blew up that scar, but she wasn't really all that pretty after that and couldn't get anymore deals." Lyra folded her hands, "I kinda found that out by accident."

"How do you find that out by accident?" Leblanc was amazed at what she heard.

"Well," Lyra stood up and held up an index finger, "Give me a minute." She disappeared to reappear five minutes later.

"Here," She held out a thick rectangle case, on that held small cheap movie spheres that were mass produced so someone could watch movies at home instead of going all the way to Luca.

Lyra passed it into Leblanc's hands and sat down on the floor cross-legged, "I purchased a movie of hers on accident. Well, not accident. Uhm, you see I like vampire flicks and I just happened to see Vakida's name in the credits after I got done watching this new one. It was real good you know, with lots of good blood effects and stuff. I should've noticed before though, scars or not, because Vakida's one of the main vamps, not so important but she's like, through the entire movie."

Leblanc read letters on the case, "Under the Moon?"

"Yeah, cool movie actually," Lyra took the case and gazed down at it with a sort of fondness. Her eyes brightened with an idea, "Say, wanna watch it?"

"Sure," Leblanc rubbed under her nose with a tissue, "Do you have a movie sphere stand?"

"Yep, pretty good size too," Lyra got up, leaving the case on the floor, "I'll be back. It's not fancy mind you but its enough to satisfy my movie cravings."

"Well, I suppose you wouldn't need a lot," Leblanc laughed lightly as Lyra left again. The movie title sounded familiar but Leblanc couldn't quite remember where she had seen it. She picked up the case and turned it to look at the picture.

Mostly black, with a really fake looking blood splatter behind the purple lettering. Three names under the title, which Leblanc corresponded with faces under them as they stood side by side in Victorian clothing: Chance Rorkion, Mialyn Trenraka, Marks Poloi.

"Hmm, that's where I heard it!" Leblanc gasped and understood at the direct moment Lyra shuffled back in with a stand, the size of her torso, and dropped it on the ground.

"Heard what Leblanc?"

"The movie," Leblanc put it down, "Logos has it in his room. It's in a chest full of all sorts of spheres. I figured it was another one of his dirty movies."

"Nope," Lyra picked it up to take it out of it's case, "It's not that kind of movie."

"Hmm, actually it has that second one in a lot of the movies he has," Leblanc rubbed under his chin, her nose starting to clog up again and she sniffled, "The second name, I figured she was some sort of 'adult movie' star that he liked."

"I don't know about that," Lyra jammed it into the compartment and clicked the device on, "But Mialyn is a pretty person once you see her."

The movie opened up with an orchestra playing as the view swarmed through creepy ruins. An unnamed character wanders aimlessly around, scared and teeth chattering, when a vampire comes down from the ruins and kills him, mutilates his body, and leaves it for the human police to find and get the main character involved, who's some sort of news reporter and the only one who believes that it was a vampire attack.

Leblanc figured the guts might make her bubbly stomach sick but she was too busy looking for Vakida's face to really care. Though she did note that the blood was real-looking despite the cheaply made cover. She looked at the cover and identified the reporter as the actor named Chance Rorkion.

The reporter digs himself in too deep when he meets a pretty blonde haired woman who claims to believe him and leads him to one clue after another, all pointing to a vampire 'coven'. Vakida appears as one of the 'sister' vampires and actually got to 'kill' someone.

Leblanc smiled and noticed Lyra was asleep by that part of the movie and turned it down, before continuing to watch.

Marks Poloi played the very attractive head vampire and had an accent. Mialyn was his 'mate' and sported perfectly shaped fangs to flash at the reporter's girlfriend, as that's what the blonde became after too long. The entire vampire coven had extravagant clothing, while the reporter and his girlfriend looked close to shabby, so the comparison when they faced off in the ball room near the end of the movie really brought out the vampire's beauty.

The reporter is determined to kill the head vampire but the vampires flee before the sun rises before he can do that. The next night, his girlfriend is kidnapped and he had to go after her of course, being the hero. The girl frees herself by killing the head vampire's wife with a broken wood plank, she was stuck in a bell tower, and Mialyn screams horrifically before fading into 'dust'. Vakida hisses well, and even Leblanc found her face scary, before she too fades to dust from the hand's of the stake wielding heroine.

Marks and Chance face off and Chance kill him by shoving him out a window as the sun rises again, for him to burn in wonderfully crafted ashes.

The credits roll with eerie music after the hero and the heroine stand together covered in blood to stare at the sun together.

Leblanc clicked it off and rolled back into bed. Her sickness was lifting and she knew she'd probably have to get up tomorrow. She slightly cursed for staying up so long, but was still excited to see Vakida in this different light.

Leblanc smiled and slipped easily into the next three hours of sleep she'd get.

* * *

><p>"Logos what are ya doing?" Ormi put his hands on his hips as he stood in the bathroom door.<p>

"Right now?" Logos lifted his hand from the floor which he laid on his back against, "I'm succumbing to alcohol poisoning."

"How much did youse drink?" Ormi bent down and lifted up the long leg to drag him back out into the hallway, "Can youse even stand up right now?"

Logos lifted his head and let it fall queasily back to floor, "I think I'm sick."

"I's would say's so," Ormi shook his head , "How long youse been like this?"

"I don't know," Logos still tasted the acid from when he emptied his stomach, and rubbed his tongue against his pallet to try and be rid of it. In truth, he was only making it worse, "Uck, blagh."

"What a mess," Ormi was referring to him and picked up his leg again to drag him more out of the bathroom, "So's can youse give me number on what youse drank?"

"That bottle earlier," Logos closed his eyes and put his hand over them.

"The whole thing?" Ormi's eyes widened when the gunner shook his head 'yes'. "Logos, jus' because it was cheap stuff don' mean it's weak enough to drink like water!"

"And that-" Logos flicked his fingers in the air before returning his hand over his face, "Erm, that whatever in the green bottle. Then some of that rotten-sweet stuff in the stone bottle."

Ormi rolled his eyes, "Logos, do I's need to ask if youse drank all of that stuff too?"

"No, that green stuff was awful so I left it where it was," Logos closed his eyes tighter and remembered, "But whatever that liquor was in the brown bottle was alright and I drank most of that. The stone bottle stuff made me sick though, ugh…still am."

"The stuff in the brown one wasn't kiddie stuff, Logos" Ormi leaned back to look at Logos, who still fought to regain his familiar senses and remember what he was supposed to do tomorrow, "Youse are telling me's that youse drank more than a couple of shots right?"

"Shots? What shots?" Logos laughed and ran his fingers through his free hair, "I have the right to indulge once in a while don't I?"

Taji made his way from his room with sleepy eyes, "What's going on? Huh?"

"What's up?" Logos smiled and then plopped his lifted body back on the ground from where he half-way risen before dizziness hit him again in full force.

"Is he high?" Taji pointed to the gunner who worked on getting up again.

"No," Ormi sighed big and heavy before helping Logos up with a jerk on his arm, "He's so drunk though he probably won' remember this in the morning."

"Why?" Taji followed after him, "How much did he drink?"

"E'nuff ta make him loopy," Ormi tried to drag Logos's feet down the hall and into his own bedroom, muttering as the gunner made no effort to help him, "Come on buddy work with me."

Taji opened Logos's door and noticed the bottle on the table, "All that?" He pointed.

Ormi shifted the gunner to look at the table top before he laughed, "Bwa ha ha! Youse forgot to tell me about those ones, Logos!"

"Hrm?" Logos tilted his head.

"Forget it," Ormi shuffled in and hurled him with no particular care onto the bed, "Looks like we at least got tomorrow morning off with how much he's gotta have to sleep to get all that to go away."

"Think he misses the Boss much?" Taji smiled and noticed a small green bottle by the night stand. He picked it up and took a sip, before wincing at the feeling in his throat and putting it back, "Blegh."

"More than he's gonna say aloud," Ormi shook his head, "What was I doing? Right, I gotta go to the bathroom."

"Heh," Taji turned on his foot and marched out the room, closing the door behind him with a loud thud and not bothering to switch off the lights. Ormi made his way to the restroom and Taji sampled the stone bottle he pilfered.

He let the liquid slip over his tongue and he smacked his lips at the sweet taste, "Mm, that's not too bad."

A pale hand snatched the bottle from him.

"Hey!" Taji balled his fist and caught Erie's glare, "What was that for?"

"Aren't you only seventeen?" Erie shook her head, "One more year pal."

"It's juice!" Taji went to grab it back before Erie waved the nozzle of the bottle under her nose and took a whiff. Erie lifted a pierced brow.

"Juice my ass, go to bed," Erie hissed and Taji, defeated, slunk away back to his room. Ormi eventually found his way back down the hall to his own room, where the ghost of a woman twirled the bottle with her wrist waiting for him.

"Missing something?"

"Taji had it?" Ormi guessed from her glare and snatched it from her hand, "He's almost grown up anyways."

"Leblanc wouldn't have liked it," Erie lifted her arms behind her head, bending her elbows in the air, "You know that don't you Ormi?"

"Sure I's do," Ormi pushed his room doors open and looked around for a cork, discarded from some other drink maybe or maybe even belonged to one in his hand. He found one a tad to big but shoved it into the rim anyways. Erie tapped her foot.

"We still good right?"

"Right," Ormi held up his fingers in a gesture that he heard, "We's jus' got to wait a while."

"I don't want too," Erie sighed, "How long before we get our leader back?"

"Leblanc will come back," Ormi smiled wide before he looked over his large bulky shoulder, "I's know's it."

"Well," Erie blinked slowly and tugged at her pierced ear with her left hand, "I don't want to wait. I miss her too you know? I don't know how long I can keep Zizi okay without her."

"Z will be's fine," Ormi held out his palms, before lowering them and turning on his haunches to look at the Fem-Goon, "Are youse gonna be?"

Erie thought about it for a second, rubbing her black lips together, before she shrugged, "Sure."

"Jus' wait and see," Ormi smiled again, "Everything will be all right!"

* * *

><p>"Leblanc." Lyra rubbed her eyes and lifted herself from the sleeping roll that belonged to Nia, "What did you go and do this early in the morning?"<p>

"Just took some time to buy some movies." Leblanc lowered them to the floor before next to her rolled sleeping bag, "See?"

Lyra's eyes widened, "You got all of Vakida's movies, didn't you?"

"Yep," Leblanc picked through them, "Mialyn appears in a lot of them too."

"Yeah, they were friends," Lyra ran her hands over the cases, "Whoa, six of them." Her hand stopped on the fourth one on the ground, "Even the one she had her accident in…"

"That's all there is of her," Leblanc picked it up, "This is the last one."

"Don't let her see them," Lyra cupped her hands, "I doubt it's a happy memory for her."

"I know that, love," Leblanc lowered her head, "I just was too curious to let it alone. I'm sorry."

Lyra sighed, "I was half tempted to do it myself when I found out but I chickened out instead. I guess you just have more guts…please don't let her see them."

"I won't."

* * *

><p>"Ooohh~ ahhhh~."<p>

Logos shifted under his blankets, a headache instantly pounding in his skull, as erotic music blasted in his ears. It took him only a moment to register what was happening.

"What the Hell are you watching!?" the gunner lifted himself, the light from the screen intensifying his headache as soon as he saw it, and the two twins, one with a serious blush and the other with a devious smile, met his eyes.

"We're watching a porno!" Taji smiled before a foot made contact with his face, "Gah!"

"Get that stuff out of my room!" Logos clutched one side of his head in pain, before retracting his foot back under the covers to escape the cold air of the basement, "Now!"

"It's from your room!" Taji yelled back then jumped and yelped as a gun barrel aimed in his direction, "I'm out!"

Daji stood up, smoothed out his pants, before bowing his head, "Taji was the one that did it not me!"

"Tattletale!" Taji closed the door and Daji nervously ran and opened it again as his brother's footsteps retreated down the hall. Before SLAM! He was gone too.

The door slamming twice felt like it came down on his own skull and Logos clawed at his brain from the pain inside it. He looked bleary eyed around his room before clicking the screen off, shutting the sounds down with a click-whir.

"Out of all the movies…" Logos rubbed his face slowly and noticed his chest where he kept his spheres was in disarray. Standing up, a curse in his throat, he bent beside his bed to the pile of cases and round spheres and started tossing them in so he could close it and shove it back underneath his bed.

He had Mia's collection in his hands and placed them more gently into the chest before slowly lowering the lid to minimize the sound that might make his headache worse. He checked the time, saw it was still very early morning hours, and decided to get back into bed to sleep the ache out of his head.

When he awoke three hours later, his headache was no better and two pieces of paper laid on his card table again. He rose from his sheets, gripping his head tightly, before making his way slowly to the table.

The same thick handwriting, Ormi's, showed in the crumbled first paper.

_**Twins told me about this morning. I'm taking the Goons out on mission so that you won't shoot anyone today. Really important mission and secret too so don't bother looking for us. You could of come too but you snooze you lose, buddy. Stop drinking and next time you can come with us :3**_

_**-Ormi**_

Logos sighed from the fact that whatever details went into the 'secret mission' was left out conveniently. The gunner had no clue how long they'd be gone or when they'd be back. He picked up the second one, the scrawl on it was probably going give him more information than the first as always. The Dr. Goon always put in his wise words after Ormi's bumbling to tie up loose ends.

_**The secret mission is none of your business, gunslinger. See you in three days :P -Rouk**_

"WHAT THE HELL? !" Logos crunched both notes in his hand before slamming it down onto the table.


	7. Preps, Visitors, Plans and Dog's Loyalty

"Chapter 7: Preparations, Visitors, Plans, and Dog's Loyalty?"

* * *

><p>"Hey!" Zizi whistled to the front of the group as they waited on the Moonflow for a shoopuf to come back to give them a ride over, "I forgot to grab any spheres! Totally slipped my mind!"<p>

"Too late now," Taji shrugged, "If we go back, Logos is bound to be awake and waiting for us."

"Yep," Erie agreed in her straight voice, "Let's just keep going."

Ormi looked around from the lead of the pack and smiled big, "Tell me youse grabbed those things didn't youse, Nago?."

"It's called the H.E.A.R.T." Taji corrected with pride and annoyance both laced in his voice, "I didn't make it from scratch to be called a thing."

"What are you talking about?" Rouk looked over at him, his eyes narrowed behind his dark mask, "You didn't build that from scratch. You stole that Commsphere that the Shinra kid made and altered it!"

"Pupt, pupt, pupt," Daji shook his index finger before shrugging in unison with his brother, speaking in tune as they swayed toward the center between them.

"Small details."

"Creepy," Zizi shook her chills from her dark arms as the twins walked away in unison, step in step, and their elbows hooked,"Yeah, definitely creepy."

Mara leaned out from the edge of the landing pad, "Heey! Guys, I see the shoopuf coming! Hmm," she put a finger to her mouth, "Did you ever notice how slow these things go?"

"Whatever it is, hand it tah me," Ormi held out his palm and flexed his thick digits quickly at the Mr. Goon. Nago shuffled through his coat and pushed the circular sky-blue device into Ormi's hand before lowering his arms and asking.

"What are you going to do? And why'd you want me to get all of them?"

"It's not what I'm gonna do, it's what Logos is gonna do," Ormi smiled again and unhooked the back. After staring at it for a while, he went 'ah' and pulled out a small wire and with a 'chingk!' sound the screen flashed before buzzing off.

Pocketing the wire, Ormi held up the device and shook it as he spoke, "I'll put that back in when we's need it. Now for the other one's-" He gave the same treatment, handing the non-working pieces back to the goon.

"What are you doing?" Taji squirmed, hating to watch the half-dismantling of his wonderful creations, "There better be a good reason, Tubs."

"Maybe not," Ormi shrugged before smiling at the 'dying' teenager who dramatically gripped his chest and turned away, like it literally wounded him critically to watch his 'toys' being messed with.

"What are all those wires for?" Nago asked Daji, who was hovering over his shoulder.

"Well, that would be what connects the receivers to the oscillo-finder back home and helps the oscillo-finder detect the location of the H.E.A.R.T device." Daji sniffed, "Is that why you're taking them out Ormi? So Logos won't track us?"

Ormi yanked the wire of the last one free and handed it to Nago before he heard the question, "Huh? Oh yeah sure, kinda."

"I'm surprised you knew what to pull," Rouk looked at the messed up wires, one missing in each, and the jumble of parts and minuscule chips and gears inside the last H.E.A.R.T that back had yet to be replaced. The Dr. Goon shook his head, "I can't make out what's what."

"Why take them all though?" Nago looked up from the last H.E.A.R.T in his hand, feeling the rest rustle against the pouch at his hip, "We coulda just left them and Logos couldn't find us."

"If he wanted tah find us, he could, but he's probably to stubborn tah chase after us," Ormi held the wires firmly between his fingers before pocketing them with the first ones, "The junk working or not. But, I's need these."

The twins looked at each other before back at their 'temporary boss', tilting their heads toward the space between them until the top of their skulls bonked against each other, "Huh?"

The sound of swishing water hardly distracted them as the wayward group stared at their 'temporary boss'. The shoopuf huffed as it was allowed another break from its slow calm journey back and forth between the banks of the Moonflow.

The Hypello working the pad waved his blue hands at them, his body swaying a bit, "All aboard, yesh?"

"Oh!" Mara's sweet voice piped, startled a bit, before turning to the Hypello, "Yes, could we all ride together?"

"Yesh," The Hypello looked around just for extra measure in case of other customers that might protest before blinking his, assuming of course he was indeed a male and not a female since Mara couldn't tell, large amphibious eyes, "All aboard?"

"Right on!" The twins flipped, in their goonishly manner, onto the half lethargic creature. The shoopuf snorted, but made no other sign about having noticed it at all.

Rouk watched the other goons board, Anomi flipping like her other Al Bhed companions, before looking at the temporary boss, "Ormi."

"Whut?" Ormi lifted a thick brow, a silly smile still plastered on his broad face.

"When you said 'what Logos will do', I assume it goes well for us when it plays out," The doctor straightened himself up, folding his arms over his chest, "I'd rather not have to hit him more than once a week."

Ormi showed his teeth with his smile, "It'll be alright."

"Oh?" Rouk stepped onto the animal, the creature huffing as it adjusted to the added weight, then again with a great puff of air as Ormi stepped on. Though a animal this size wasn't hindered by the weight, it did make a sound and seemingly sighed.

"Another question," Rouk lifted is black covered forefinger, settling himself stiff-jointly onto the back seat of the carriage of the shoopuf, "Who thought this one up? You or Erie?"

"Who do youse think?"

"I'm not sure," Rouk narrowed his eyes, "I'd almost always say Erie, but right now…I'm not sure."

"Why?" Ormi beamed even more, obviously proud.

Rouk sighed roughly, lifting a corner of his thin lips, "Forget it, sometimes I just have this ridiculous thought that maybe you're harder to understand than even Logos. But it doesn't matter, I don't get paid enough to think so much."

Ormi laughed, his voice booming and startling the other goons who had been staring intently at the scenic water around them, before lowering it to a chuckle, "Right?"

* * *

><p>Leblanc watched the movies whenever she found the chance, that being at night when most slept, and soon she had all six watched and done. She watched them in the order of which they were made, impressed by the believable acting on the most part from Vakida and her fellow peers, and found herself frowning on the last movie.<p>

Mialyn was back with Vakida while they played two girls trying to make it as a band in a world that wouldn't hear them out. The third to last scene, all you could see was the back of Vakida's head as they made a point not to show her face, and Mialyn looked angry even as they won their right to play in some club. Leblanc supposed Mialyn wasn't too pleased to see her friend pushed like that.

"Leblanc," Nooj's deep voice caught her attention as the last scene was still playing, again not showing Vakida's face even as she finally sang in her character's dream.

"Yes?" Leblanc paused the image of Mialyn on a guitar styled with black and red flames against the yellow frame.

Nooj took it as permission to open the tent flap and enter, "What are you doing?"

"What are you doing up so late at night?" Leblanc smiled playfully, "I was just watching a movie but that's normal compared to walking around, right love?"

"I suppose," Nooj looked over the movie, before raising his eyebrows, "Lyra told me about what you know."

"Really?" Leblanc trusted Nooj enough for it but it came as a surprise, "Well, I was just curious. I'm not going to hurt her with it."

"I wouldn't think you would," Nooj stooped down, "But you could say that I'm also curious."

Leblanc felt her chest flutter, "Are you saying you want to watch it with me?"

Nooj smiled, "I want to see Vakida in a movie, yes."

"Alright," Leblanc held up the cases, "Which one?"

Nooj looked at the cheap pictures, his face showing that there wasn't a difference on what looked good and what didn't, based on the appearance alone, "I don't know much about movies…"

"Vampires," Leblanc held up 'Under the Moon' then held up the last one with Vakida and Mialyn posing on the cover with a guitar and a micro phone, "A chick flick about a band."

"Hmm," Nooj raised his eyebrow to both, obviously, and to no surprise, those movies weren't exactly to his tastes, "Is there-?"

Leblanc held up the third made movie 'Tragic', which was some weird trippy one taking place in Zanarkand a thousand years ago. With what she had seen with her run-in with the ghost Shuyin and that Gullwing Yuna's concert and everything else, the movie was sad in comparison, but still not to bad on terms of accuracy.

Leblanc finally stuck in the fourth made movie, which was some fighting action one where Vakida was a curse spewing fist fighter and Mialyn, who was in all of Vakida's movies minus the one about Zanarkand, played along side her as a pistol wielding and trigger happy partner.

Something about the set up, the way the black haired actress with large gray tilted eyes smiled when she shot the gun and the way Vakida was extremely strong, reminded Leblanc painfully of her gunner and heavy weight warrior. Not to mention the friendship the two actresses had was obvious even as they acted and Leblanc felt sick for her female companions as well.

Within the first minute of the movie someone got punched in the face. As the movie rolled on, and Vakida punched more noses in, Nooj had more to say about the anatomy inaccuracy.

"If someone had hit you with brass knuckles that many times, your face wouldn't be that clean," Nooj commented about an actor with only a straight and bleeding nose and bloody teeth.

"It's a movie, watch," Leblanc waited for a certain crack Vakida made, before giggling at it, "That's funny."

"Meyvn Nooj!" Lucil's voice called for him, searching outside. Leblanc noticed how close they were, to stare together at the screen, and blushed. Nooj got up and met Lucil's neat running outside while Leblanc shook her head to gather her proper senses again.

"Yes?"

"We have visitors sir," Lucil sighed in relief when she realized that the Meyvn hadn't disappeared again, "The Leblanc Syndicate."

Ormi twiddled his fingers at Leblanc's surprised face, "Hey Boss."

The terrible aching missing she had in short series the last couple of days melted as the twins, unable to control themselves, ran to give her hugs. They both wrapped their arms around her neck and squeezed warmly. Leblanc put her hands on each of their backs and rubbed back.

"We missed you, Boss!" They spoke together, and though she could not see clearly, it was apparent streams of tears ran down there cheeks in happy waves.

"I missed you too loves!" Her eyes were still wide and she did nothing to relax them, "W-what are you doing here?"

"To visit you of course!" Taji and Daji didn't let go, wiping their faces with the inside of their masks by rubbing their free hands against the outside of the dark cloth, "Sorry ol' Grumpy Gunner ain't here."

"That's alright," Leblanc managed a smile before lightly pushing on them both to get off. That fact didn't exactly come as a shock to her anyways, though a twist of guilt it still was.

"We were going to bring some spheres so we wouldn't bother Nooj," Erie decided to inform before she flashed Zizi a quick glare, "But _someone _forgot them back in Guadosalam!"

"Well, who said she was going to remind me?" Zizi leaned forward, jutting out one hip stubbornly and pointing accusingly in the direction of the guilty party, "I'm not all to blame here, ya know!"

Leblanc smiled even as Zizi and Erie verbally fought, "Good to see you girls again."

"Say boss," Rouk dug into his coat and brought out an apple, a pinkish one with specks of yellow on its crisp skin. "Bet you haven't been eating enough of these."

She looked at the fruit, the coloring different then the dark green and bright red, "Did you carry that all the way from Guadosalam?"

"Yep," Rouk let his wrist become slack, the apple still clutched in his bony fingers, "Just a little warm though. Bought it in the store before leaving. I figured you'd be bored of the ones we had, since you ate it every day when you were with us."

"Is something wrong?" Leblanc narrowed her eyes at the way he sorely moved about.

"I'm just old," He gave a creaky smile through his dark mask, "Don't worry about me."

"Yeah, that and him and Logos got into a fight!" Taji spoke up with is dopey voice before anyone could stop him.

"A fight?" Leblanc's brows raised in alarm, "Why would they be fighting?"

Rouk lurched forward and wrapped an arm around Taji's throat, gagging him a little. Taji was pulled back to the Dr. Goon's body and his breathing was considerably constricted, but not too much as to cause real hurt to him, though, his talking was definitely over.

Rouk waved a free hand carelessly, ignoring the fists beating on his arm from the teenager in the crook of his elbow, "Tit-for-tat, I'm a temperamental person."

"You shoulda seen it!" Daji beamed, behind the doctor and his brother, "It was really funny! Well, not at the time, but afterward it was funny! Logos got-"

"-His ass kicked, hardy har har," Rouk growled afterward over his shoulder and Daji shut his trap with a crack of his teeth. Turning, Taji still in tow, the Dr. Goon then dipped his head a little to Leblanc, "Well, no need to worry about what's going on at home. Same as always really."

After a bit more hugs from the Goons, Nia and Hacky who had joined them laughing at their dopey-ness, Leblanc got done hugging the last goon that gave her a comforting squeeze. Ormi and Rouk were the only ones to keep their hands to themselves.

Nago made it a quick one, with a pat on her back, before he stepped away, "Heh, heh, nice seeing you again Boss."

"Yes, well," Leblanc smiled as Nago's stomach growled over what she was going to say next. With a laugh, she lowered her eyes to his covered face, which must've been blushing by now as that's how Nago was, "Hungry, love?"

"Yeah, kinda," Nago rubbed the side of his head with his palm. "We would've ate along the way, but heh, turns out the twins 'snacked' on the road with abundance-"

"Not our fault!" They denied together, arms around the other's shoulder.

"Hey, I'm hungry too!" Anomi barked, her head lifting up and her loud voice attracting every sort of attention on the grounds of the Youth League, "I'll eat the twins before too long!"

"Oh no, don't do that!" Mara waved her hands frantically in the space between Anomi and herself, "That would be terrible!"

Rouk scoffed, "How so? At least they'd be gone, and heh, with how porky Taji's getting, Anomi probably wouldn't have to eat for a long time."

Leblanc, for the first time since stepping out of the tent, looked at Nooj. She found him smiling at her, and she was already smiling again, so with a little bit of heat in her cheeks, she tilted her head at him, "Mind if I steal the kitchen tent again?"

"Sure," Nooj gave a little nod, "I don't mind."

Even with the preparations for the Yevonites, who had yet to show themselves, Leblanc had free reign of the kitchen. Well, mostly. She left most of the ready made stuff alone, considering that would come most in handy when the enemies showed themselves and they were fighting to defend the headquarters.

"-this one guy was carrying a dog on his head, a dog!" Taji was near talking her ear off about the people he had seen while guarding the front door, which in the colorful now traveling center of Spira, was quite a bit of interesting people, "I don't know what he was doing with it, but he went out towards the ThunderPlains so maybe he thought it protect his noggin or something! Then this one chick had like- nothing on! And I'm an Al Bhed so that says something! Just a little something here and there to block the necessaries but, like, that was it!"

"Oh sure," Leblanc nodded her head, focusing on the cutting board in front of her. Red tomatoes were sliced in half by the sharp knife in her hand, and that was the easy part, but she was working on the art of 'dicing' them up. So far it was just becoming soggy shapeless chunks.

Half of the brown serving bowl and two more pointless conversations later, Taji eventually wandered away from the counter and out to the tables, yelling, "Nago~! Daji~! What are you guys talking about?"

Leblanc quickened her pace, trying to dice as fast as she'd seen Lyra do it without cutting off her fingers. A hand reached from behind her, over her shoulder, and scooped up a piece she had yet to cut down from a fourth slice. Her hand stopped chopping and for a split second she followed the tomato's ascent upward to the mouth that was opening to eat it.

"Ah!" Leblanc's shoulders lifted a little. When she expected someone like Ormi, or maybe one the of goons or even Hacky, she saw Nooj.

Nooj put the tomato slice between his lips before sucking it up to disappear in his mouth. Chewing, he looked out of the corner of his eyes at Leblanc. After swallowing, he closed his eyes and smiled, "Did I scare you, Leblanc?"

"N-no!" She brought the knife down hard against the cutting board, barely missing her fingers. She then turned to concentrate on the cutting board instead of her beating heart. It wasn't like this was a very 'intimate' moment, though they were alone and he did just sneak a bite from the tomatoes she was chopping.

When she quieted her, to herself, extremely loud heart, she heard the other conversations of the mess hall tent more clearly as she desperately tried to find something to talk to Nooj about. Strangely, he had yet to leave and was just staring out over the counter, past the serving table with the tray extension, to the tables beyond with happily chattering Youth Leaguers and Goons alike, all of Leblanc's friends, new and old.

"Tonberry, Tonberry, Tonberry!" Taji, Nago, Daji, and Mara were playing a game. Taji called out 'Tonberry' because the point of the game was to guess what the others had in their hands, and the others only had three cards with pictures on them.

"You don't really think I have three Tonberries do you?" Daji raised up his hand, the backs to his brother and a sly smile, "That's a stupid bet Taji!"

"You're my twin, I know what you got!" Taji claimed than growled as Daji threw down a Chimera, A coyote, and a wolf.

"My win," Mara pulled in the gil they had thrown in the center, "I guessed chimera and a wolf, so I'm closest."

"I coulda swore that because I have two wolves," Nago threw down his cards in defeat, "He'd have a Moogle."

"What do Moogles and wolfies have to do with each other?" Daji lifed up a new hand from the top of the deck. "Na~go, dear?"

"That's all you were playing last time!"

Quick motion between the tables jerked her attention from the card game to the aisle between the tables.

Braco and Dimitri tackled Rouk, who was standing on his knees, flat on his back to the floor. Lyra shouted at them, "Hey brats, play nice!"

Rouk, pushing himself up from under the weight of the two boys, grabbed both their heads and flipped them over his neck, making them land on the ground between the tables. They got up and charged together again.

Leblanc smiled at the scene. Who'd of thought that Rouk, the dry-cracking, grumbly man he often presented himself as, was good with kids?

Hacky joined the card game the Goons were busying themselves with, asking, "So what's the point of this game? I never played it before."

"Of course not!" Taji made a 'psh!' sound with his lips, before flicking his hand, "That's because Yamusu and me invented it for fun."

"Who's Yamusu?"

"SIN!" Daji threw down a card with a picture of Sin's ugly head then threw down another card on top of it, "and a Sin Scale. It's a duet! Now who wants to bet I have a full set?"

"I do!" Taji pushed his gil into the center of the table.

"Taji," Nago lifted his hands, "You do realize the possibility of it being a Sin Spawn is like- one out of fifty since there is fifty cards. That's only 2 percent chance of-"

"Nerd," Taji pushed more gil toward the table, "Alright bro, show my your hand!"

"It's a S-" Daji smiled and slapped his hand down, "Stalwart."

"You suck!" Taji threw his cards in the air, that scattered and landed in the way of Dimitri and Braco playing.

Dimitri grabbed at the floating cards, "Hey, did someone draw all these by themselves?"

"Yep, Yamusu did," Taji folded his arms over his chest.

"Who is Yamusu?" Hacky asked again, putting his cards on the table like everyone else now that Taji threw his hand away.

"He used to stand guard with me." Taji lifted his arms a little on his chest, puffing out his chest in the process.

"But not anymore?" Lyra lifted her violet eyebrows.

"No," Taji was slower, "Not anymore."

"He's dead," Rouk adjusted his glasses on his nose, before leaving it off at that.

"Mind if I ask how it happened?" A sluggish voice answered from the tent flap, a little too crisp sounding to even remotely sound like a pitying tone. Leblanc shifted, her eyes stopped watching her Goons from a distance and moved toward Ruckus in the tent way.

"Hey," He lifted his hands in the air, as if offering peace to the new faces, and familiar, that glared, "It was a decent question."

Taji stood up, his arms crossed, and his voice heated and ready to pick a fight, even with someone that didn't do anything wrong, technically anyway. It was one of his faults. His quick temper, sticky fingers, and immature nature had earned him more bruises in the past then what most people earned for themselves in a lifetime. Now, with his cursed temper, he glared at Ruckus, who stood a full four heads higher than his slouched form, "What's it any of your business? Who are you?"

"Ruckus," He introduced himself with a flick of his meaty wrist before he looked down at Taji's stunted height, "Are you a kid, or are you just short?"

"I'm not that short!" Taji went forward like he was going to hit him but Nago grabbed the back of his looped belts and yanked him back to the table. Taji's backside bumped into it and the Mr. Goon waved a hand through the air and slapped the back of his neck goonishly-

"Sorry about him," Nago in his good natured voice apologized.

"Sooo-" Ruckus's eyes wandered from face to face, "What are you all doing here?"

"Take a lucky guess," Nia rolled her eyes, "They're just the _Leblanc _syndicate after all."

"Where's the guy with the stick up his ass?" Ruckus rubbed the back of his neck looking at all of them.

Leblanc brought the knife down on the cutting board with a sharp crack, "Who?"

"Ah, you're going to make me think aren't ya?" Ruckus leaned back, "Hmm, uh, Legos something or other."

"His name is Logos!" Taji snapped.

"Don't pick a fight," Rouk warned before standing up with aching knees. Brushing off his coat, he held out his hand, "Nice to meet you Ruckus, was that your name?"

"Right," Ruckus took it and gave a quick shake, "So- is that squinty guy here or not?"

"No he isn't," Rouk brought his hand back to his side, before deliberately wiping it on his coat, "Why do you ask?"

Ruckus widened his grin, "No reason."

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey wait up!"<em>

_Logos turned just as he made his way to the elevator. A large man, burly, with a large grin was tailing him._

_Out of habit from his Yevonite days, he noted all the features of the man in great detail, as he was trained to in case he'd need to ever identify someone or look for them again. _

_Brownish red hair, longer than average, pulled into a short stunted pony tail at the height of the back of his head. Rugged in appearance, light skin that had turned reddish due to the exposure of sun, and unkempt facial hair that appeared to be crudely shaved a few days ago. Light green-blue eyes, and a overconfident air. A half head shorter than himself, and heavily muscled around his arms, legs, neck, and chest. Probably in early twenties but not older than twenty five. _

_Logos slowed his pace long enough for him to catch up._

"_What do you want?" Logos's slurring voice did nothing to hide his feelings. Ruckus smiled before roughly patting him on the shoulder. Logos flinched._

"_Let me walk with ya," Ruckus smile broadened, friendly enough, then finished his patting, keeping his heavy hand on his shoulder, "I saw that thing with you and the Queen."_

"_Excuse me, Que-?" Logos leaned away from the hand, but as to not seem to rude and disagreeable, he didn't flick it off._

"_Leblanc," Ruckus hooded his eyes before pushing on Logos's shoulder, spinning him around in the mud, before pushing him again toward the elevator, "Hey what was your name?"_

_"Logos," The gunner dug his feet down, finding the motion futile as he was pushed further._

_"Yeah, yeah," Ruckus nodded, "So that thing with you and the Queen-"  
><em>

"_What about it?" Logos was further coaxed onto the metal plating of the elevator and Ruckus, looking behind them so no one followed, pulled the lever down. _

_There was a jolt, then a whirring as it started going down._

"_You like her or something?" Ruckus stared at him with a wolfish smile, "Oh, don't tell me, I know you do."_

"_What about it?" Logos reiterated, his voice dripping with contained rage._

"_Well, I think it's kinda of sad, I mean, ain't it?" Ruckus put an arm around his shoulders, 'comforting' the gunner, and his voice took a softer tone though it was too fake, "Why does she go chasing the Meyvn when she's got a guy like you following her around like a dog all along, right?"_

"_I suggest you bite your tongue and let go of me," Logos jerked his shoulders out from underneath the powerful arm, willing the elevator to go down faster so he wouldn't have to spend another moment with this thick-skulled idiot. Ruckus went to touch his shoulder again and the gunner lashed out into his forearm to push it away from him. _

"_Damn, a bark and a bite?" Ruckus took a step back, flicking his arm to get the prickly stinging feeling out of it. "What a good little dog you are."_

"_Oh, please, cease your incessant chatter," Logos hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously, "Are you not loyal to the Meyvn Nooj? Why pick at my loyalty when you are no different."_

"_Oh, I'm loyal to the Meyvn but at least I'm not in __**love **__with him," Ruckus narrowed his eyes back, his lingering smile mocking, "I mean, am I right or am I right?"_

_Logos closed his eyes hard, his pulse loud in his ears. He pushed on the insides of his eyes with his forefinger and thumb before sighing, "What do you want?"_

_"Nothing much, just want to ask a question," Ruckus tilted his head a little to the side, his eyes widening, "Have a quick chat to quell my curiosity."_

_"Ask your question and leave me alone," Logos pushed harder on the inside of his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose also. Repeating in his head against losing his temper. After all, it wasn't like the man said anything to warrant any attack.  
><em>

_"Alright," Ruckus spread his stance, looking ready to jump, and Logos stiffened a bit, "Here's my question, why even bother with a bitch like that?"_

_Logos stayed still for a couple of seconds more, his hands shaking as he tried to not hit the insolent bastard with all his strength. However, soon the shaking reached up to his shoulders and his teeth were ready to crack against each other as he ground them. He never really was good at keeping his temper though Ormi was quicker to lose it.  
><em>

_"Well, why_ her? _There's got to be plenty of her whore types around if that's what you're into."_

_Something in his head snapped.  
><em>

_Logos's hand crashed into Ruckus's throat, pushing him back into the middle engine that pulled the elevator up and down. Ruckus pushed forward with his feet only to find that Logos had jammed a gun muzzle with his free hand into his solar plexus._

"_Say another word," Logos cocked the hammer, "And your guts will be no more."_

_The guards at the bottom of the elevator gasped as soon as the mechanism clicked back into place. The male guard jumped forward to assist his comrade but needlessly, as Logos jerked his arms away._

_Logos moodily pushed past the male guard, the latter yelling something at him, before making his way to the lift. Ruckus followed behind, motioning for the male guard to stay behind. _

_Thinking to himself, Logos felt more nerves pop in his head. **What does that imbecile know about the boss? Obviously not much from the way he speaks of her. When will humans learn to not judge others on appearances alone? Not that I should talk, but still that moron has no right to judge the boss like that. Now, I know the 'type' he's referring too, and Leblanc isn't that! No...what a complete and utter fool...I should've shot his jaw off, so it can be put to better use fertilizing the soil than yammering out useless- **  
><em>

_As soon as the lift made it to the bottom for Logos, Ruckus jumped from the cliff and landed on it coming back up, then he jumped again from it to land on his haunches on the ground. Logos glared over his shoulder, daring him to follow, and Ruckus took the dare._

"_I'm not trying to make you mad," Ruckus held up his arms peacefully as he talked, "Really, gun-guy, I just want to give you some advice."_

_"You can take your petty advice and shove it up your ass," Logos decided that using any proper courtesy for this one, being as he managed to piss him off royally in the few minutes that they had met, was an immense waste so he didn't bother. The gunslinger shuffled toward 'home' as fast as he could go, knowing the idiot walking behind him wouldn't follow him that far._

"_I'm sorry I called you a dog," Ruckus was closing the space between them swiftly, "If that's what's bothering you. It's just you Syndicate guys remind me of a bunch of dogs."_

"_And what-" Logos spun around, his frown pushing sharply down into his chin and his eyebrows pushed hard against the middle of his head, "Pray tell, makes you think that?"_

_By 'that' he meant how could he think that was the cause of his anger, but_ _Ruckus took it as he needed an explanation of his thoughts. _

"_Well," Victorious in having him turn around and continue this back and forth between them, Ruckus tilted his head, feigning to think really hard, "There is a bunch of you right? Like a pack. But there is only one leader, an 'alpha bitch' really and I mean that in a nice way, that you all answer to. Makes sense so far right?" Ruckus got a growl in return, "See what I mean? And you all get pissy when it comes to her. You call it loyalty, I call it sad. I mean, do you guys even see how much of a bitch she is?"_

_Logos felt his fingers dig into his palms. _

"_And she feeds you so you all are 'loyal' to her. Wagging your tails and doing just what she says just because she was nice to you once. It's like a bunch of dogs," Ruckus lifted the corner of his mouth, "But it's not like she has to really like you to take care of you, you know? I mean there's even dogs out there, real ones you know- woof -woof- kind that get hit by their masters and still come back wagging their tails with their tongues lolling expecting to get pet instead of hit again. Well, for a while anyways, before even those stupid animals realize that they aren't going to get pettings anymore."  
><em>

"_Listen here you idiotic-"_

"_The so called 'loyalty' that all you goons give up to her is wasted. I mean what did she just do with it?"_

"_Shut up-."_

"_She left to join up with the Youth League," Ruckus leaned forward, "She's running with our pack now while your pack is left behind. Yet, because she was nice to you guys, you're still courteous and wag your tail when you see her. It's like she owns you or something! Can't you think without her? You're wasting your time, I'm telling you!"_

_"Shove it," Logos snarled, "I don't care about your opinions."_

_"Then why are you still listening?" Ruckus leaned back, shaking his head, "Wow, I thought the one the bitch decided to leave behind would be something but- geez, what a disappointment."_

_Logos seized up the front of Ruckus's uniform, "A man can only take so much insult you know."_

"_I hear barking," Ruckus sighed grabbing a firm hold of Logos's wrist before he twisted it. Ruckus had more muscle and from his angle, he had the advantage. Logos's shoulder jerked to the side before his feet shuffled across the ground to turn so that it wouldn't be dislocated. Ruckus twisted it just a little bit more causing the gunner to cry out, "But I don't feel a bite."_

_Logos squirmed, his arm taunt behind him as it was pulled to its limit to keep him still as possible. Ruckus had spun him around, further giving him an advantage with his back exposed to the other. _

"_You were an army guy," Ruckus felt him wince through his grip on his arm, "Relax, I don't know you personally. You just stand straight like one. And you smell like blood, so maybe you got a bite somewhere, but you want to know something? And actually," Ruckus laughed, "I bet you already know. Your little bitch isn't like that. Nooj is, we all know that, but at the same time he is more…noble. I can already tell you lack what the Meyvn Nooj has." _

"_And the fucks would that be?" Logos turned to loosen the tension in his arm only to have his other yanked behind him and pulled, "Ah!"_

"_I'm loyal to the Meyvn because of one thing and one thing only." Ruckus spread his stance to compensate for the jerking the gunner was doing on his arms, "He's a killer. Just like me. Now why all the other people here follow him? That's because he's honorable and principled in the same breath as being extremely dangerous. What makes you think that after your alpha bitch fell for him that you'd stand a chance?"_

"_Why the hell should trash like you care?" Logos jerked again, slid his feet forward, pulling his arms a bit more causing pain, before lurching forward. There was a pop in his shoulders before he stilled. He already felt something shift. Now, it ached._

"_Because it's pathetic watching you," Ruckus snorted loudly before spitting a disgusting blob to the side of the road. Clearing his throat, Ruckus went on, "I thought you get Queenie to leave and go back with you but she stayed here without much of a fight. I guess I was wrong, you're not made up of much are you?"_

_After a moment of silence, Logos clearly hearing his own breathing in short bursts through his nose against the pain in his arms being pulled behind him, the gunner asked heatedly, "Are you expecting an answer from me?"_

"_Yes, actually I am," Ruckus pushed forward, sending Logos to his knees before planting a boot between his shoulder blades, "You're really not that tough without her are you?"_

"_Stronger than you think," Logos shot back, "I'm holding back considerably. I doubt my former boss would appreciate it if I hurt one of Meyvn Nooj's men, even an idiot like you."_

"_Then don't," Ruckus sneered, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the steady glare the gunner gave him over his shaking shoulder._

_The stare continued, somehow gaining more power behind it. Logos kept that glare before asking in a low voice, "What is it you want, exactly?"_

"_Just helping you out," Ruckus finally released him._

_Logos brought her arms back in front of him, rubbing at the soreness, before turning to glare, "You have a funny way of helping."_

"_All I'm saying is-" Ruckus turned to going as if to leave, "-stay with your pack and try to make sure none of your other dogs come join us too. You guys are annoying. We don't need more of you goons bothering us and slowing us up."_

_"You like to hear yourself talk don't you?" _

_"Yeah," Ruckus shrugged, "Don't you?"_

_Ruckus tilted his head back and laughed heartily, a cackle at the end of each of his heavy ha's before he looked back again with a bob in his neck, "Actually I've given it some more thought and you know what? You can go ahead and send those goons of yours our way if you don't want to deal with them. We always need the bullet sponges after all." Finishing his thought, he turned on his heel and started back up the road, laughing loudly again.  
><em>

_Logos swallowed, his shoulders aching dully. He picked himself and frowned down at his knees and the mud sticking to the cloth and the symbol on the outer loincloth he wore. Next time, he shouldn't hold back for anything lest he get humiliated again. He concentrated on erasing the experience from his head but already a thought bubbled._

'_What if more of them leave?' _

Logos opened his eyes and moaned. His head didn't hurt near as bad as earlier, but it did feel like it was stuffed with nothing but cotton. He sat up and stared around the room, a palm to his head. The paper was still crumbled on the table, right where he slammed it down, but he didn't remember going back to sleep. In fact, her remembered leaving his room to wait for there gooney return with loaded guns and a pissed attitude, nursing his hangover with coffee and a cold shower.

But somehow, here he was in his room, his hair damp and only his tight undershirt shirt and boxers on.

Well, at least he managed to get mostly dressed before mysteriously falling asleep.

He was in more than a terrible mood when he returned from that trip, having bad news to bring and that punk's words in his head all the way back. Now he was feeling the lingering effects of a hangover that was from his own idiotic drinking. Like he had always done when finding himself in this embarrassing and rather painful to his head situation, he swore off of drinking. But, it probably wasn't going to last.

Logos stretched finding himself cold in only underclothes and slightly wet from the shower he had earlier. He pulled the covers from his bed up and wrapped himself in it, falling back into his mattress again, feeling the warmth of his earlier sleeping body in the sheets and escaped the basement cold.

Whatever their 'secret mission' was, it better not be at the Youth League Headquarters. Logos rubbed his face roughly. He could always track them with the H.E.A.R.T. system he guessed, since either Taji, Daji, or Nago always carried it because the new device was so useful now. But at the same time, if they were at the Youth League, what would he do about it? Certainly not go there with this bloody headache. It would only spell disaster if he ran into that annoying big-mouth, Ruckus, again. Lady Luck help that prick if he did. But if they were, they'd only be there to visit Boss right? Not possibly join the Youth League, that was being paranoid.

He found himself not wanting to know at all. They'd be back in three days time. That was enough time for him to be alone and sort out his thoughts.

Was he scared? Maybe a little. But of what?

What that burly man from the headquarters said…to a cruel point was true.

Alright, so someone saw through his skin, and got under it at the same time. And yes, he was a bit temperamental, but at least he held back from really hurting that slimy punk's face, so a pat on the back for Logos. The Meyvn Nooj maybe the one holding Leblanc's attention now, and maybe for the rest of her life, but maybe that wasn't the worst thing that could happen for her. Nooj wasn't a bad man, though Logos wished it was him in his place. Then, the punk did shake him up a little, but it certainly wouldn't happen again. In fact, quite the opposite if they ever butted heads once more. Now Leblanc may not want to come back, and the goons might even abandon the château altogether and join up with the Youth League, Ormi even, but they're grown people who hopefully know what their doing. What should he, as a person who minds his own business, be concerned about? Why should he go poking his nose into the matter at all? He'd not lower himself to running back to Leblanc either. She thought of him as a grown capable man, and he wasn't going to make moves to change her mind about it. He could take care of everyone and anyone, should they chose to stay, and if not he certainly can take care of himself. If the group disbanded, then it wouldn't be the first time in history, especially his own history, where that happened. He could handle it.

Still it royally sucked though.

That punk even mentioned about the fact that the Meyvn Nooj was a better man than him! It only further worsened his already fouled up mood. And what does that rotten rat even know about being a man?

Of course, Nooj was a great man, but any half-cracked brained moron could tell him that! And being compared to him, yes, any one would pale in comparison. And it's not like Leblanc, beautiful, smart, and strong-willed as she is, doesn't have every chance in the world for his favorable attentions. But, that punk dare say he doesn't have a sporting chance in winning her attentions?

What does he know? Maybe Nooj was a better man, warrior, and a better leader. But that didn't mean he couldn't be a better match for Leblanc.

Logos desperately shuffled through his brain for something, anything, he had better than that Meyvn that everyone so admired, and rightfully.

The goons admired him, at times, at least. And however misplaced it was, it was a comfort to know that someone saw something of worth in him though he couldn't pick out why. Leblanc obviously saw something to leave the business she built to him. Though a piss poor job he was doing.

"Damnit!" Logos pushed his covers off and stood up, "Enough depressing bullshit. I'm tired of it." Pacing his room, he finally yanked open his door and he made his way toward the kitchen to make himself coffee. No one was in the chateau to see him in his boxers so he didn't bother fully dressing. Call it freedom.

He decided as he ventured into the warmer living room, that he wouldn't have anymore thinking on the matter. He'll just wait until those idiots got home, then deal with things as they came. No sense in working himself up, especially if a lot of things were just things of paranoia implanted by that Youth League moron that probably was just trying to mess with him.

The château was surprisingly quiet, and for once, the door was left unguarded. But, with a quick checking, Logos found with a bit of relief it was locked. Had he not had that raging headache when he first awoke he'd of probably of thought of checking it earlier.

He never realized how quiet it got if everyone, minus himself, really cleared out. So if everyone really joined the Youth League this is how it would be…

Logos growled in his throat before turning back to the living room to go out the back side doors to get the original task of getting coffee done. Without quite acknowledging he said it at all, he mumbled, "They'd better get home soon…"


	8. Intrigue

"Chapter 8: Intrigue"

* * *

><p>Leblanc watched with pride the faces of her Goons light up as they ate her food. It was kind of fun having them around again. They even made themselves useful to Nooj by killing off fiends, in apology for not bringing any spheres.<p>

Three days passed, repeating feelings of pride and joy, and killing fiends in gratitude for letting them to hang around and spend time with Leblanc, and taking up space when the final day they planned on leaving finally came. Now, they further made themselves useful by helping out in moving the canons, as word got out again that the force of Yevonites that were coming before were moving again, a few delays out of the way now, before they'd leave.

Ormi was moving a canon by himself, Ruckus rolling his eyes at him as if the goon was meaning to show off, then he stopped when his dense black eyes caught sight of his watcher.

"What youse want?" Ormi frowned, as he often did around strangers and military type men, and his heavy dark brows pressed down into his eye lids.

Behind the warrior, Ruckus got full sight of the goons that Ormi had brought with him working together to push two more canons along. The Youth Leaguers that were assigned to the chore lounging back meanwhile, appreciative of the break they got from it as they waited for their sweat to dry and for themselves to catch their breath.

"What are you still doing here?" Ruckus continued to stare at Ormi's face. It didn't change.

"Helping moving canons," Ormi answered like it was obvious, which it was, being the most obvious answer.

"No, no," Ruckus waved his thick hand through the air, thinking again how stupid this guy was, "What is you and your- uhm, group, still doing here? Don't you have things to do, or do sphere hunters get that much leisure time?"

"I's don' see why youse have tah worry ah'bout it." Ormi sniffed before giving the canon one more heave to finish putting it in place.

"What does stick-up-his-ass think about you guys messing around here for three whole days?" Ruckus crossed his arms, his mouth frowning deeply.

Ormi met his with about the same face and stance, "Why do youse have tah worry ah'bout it?"

"Well, don't you have your own group to attend to?" Ruckus's eyes turned a bit to look out over the cliffs. Somewhere in that direction is where these little terriers should be already gone to.

"We are," Ormi said with a nod with his big head, "What youse think we've been doing?"

"I don't think your bunch is a part of the Youth League," Ruckus growled.

"No, whut makes you think we's were?" Ormi forced a smile, "We's are taking care of business though, if you're worried how tha' Boss's ol' group is going. This thing needs to get done tho'."

"What thing?" Ruckus rolled his eyes, nearly exasperated in his efforts to understand the thick skulled man named 'Ormu' or something, since he never really got around to making that much effort in remembering what the called himself.

"Are you just ass kissing Meyvn Nooj to get more gil for your business or what?" Ruckus lifted his hands, palms out, and rattled them by his head, "Or are you some kind of odd job folks now?"

"Nope," Ormi shook his head, his chubby cheeks moving slightly with the motion, "We's are sphere hunters taking care of our business. Youse don' have tah worry ah' bout the Meyvn guy, we's don' want to hurt him or bug him-"

Ruckus lifted a corner of his mouth thinking, '_Wow, this guy doesn't even now Nooj's name does he?_

As if reading this thought, Ormi then said, "That Nooj-guy isn't bothered by us, long as we's help."

"Fine, but that still doesn't explain why you're lingering. We're about to have a possibly important battle, we don't need tag alongs slowing us down."

"I'm under the impression youse don't want us around anymore's." Ormi put his hands on his hips in one of his classic poses, "Huh?"

"Speaking truthfully, yeah," Ruckus leaned back, folding his arms over his chest, "Your group of dogs will be in the way."

"Dogs?" Ormi puffed out his cheeks, his brows furrowed, but not in anger rather, in confusion, "Why's youse call us that?"

"That other guy didn't tell you?" Ruckus's wide eyes quickly disappeared, "Peh, well-"

"Woof- woof," Erie's monotone voice entered the conversation behind Ruckus, making the other hold himself back from jumping.

"Erie!" Ormi smiled, "Is all of the canons moved?"

"Yep," Erie's face was exposed, slightly sweating through her pale pores, but her forest green eyes didn't move from Ruckus's face.

After a few unsettling moments, Ruckus thought, _What is with all the syndicate freaks and staring?_ before grumbling to Erie, "What are you looking at?"

"Trying to find out," Erie said without missing a beat, "Why do you want us gone so badly?"

"You're going to be in the way," Ruckus shifted when Erie, for a long time, didn't even blink, before looking at Ormi behind him, only to discover the pupil-less abyss blackness in the chubby guy's eyes was staring at him as well, "All of you."

"Okay," Ormi blinked, offering little relief because his gaze didn't waver, "Well, youse want us gone 'fore they attack right? That's any day now, so we should do something now right, Erie?"

Ruckus turned back to the female goon who was finishing up a nod.

"Alright!" Ormi beamed, his eyes still fixed on Ruckus even then, "We'll leave 'fore the end of the night, promise."

"There isn't a need to promise," Erie reminded him, her voice bringing Ruckus back around before Ormi's voice brought him around again.

"Right, well, youse have our word anyways. Come on, Erie, Logos waited long enough."

Erie flipped, her thin legs flying over Ruckus's substantially tall head, before she slowed her walking pace to step behind Ormi who had already started to head toward the goons finishing up the job with the crates now, joking with the Youth Leaguers.

Ruckus twitched when the female looked over her shoulder with her unmoving eyes. He whispered under his breath barely moving his mouth so she couldn't read them. "Bunch of freaks…"

* * *

><p>Logos sipped his coffee, pacing the oscillo-finder room. He kept looking out of the corner of his eyes at the oscillo-finder, the thought of bringing it up to life to track those idiots and see how far away they were crossed his mind, but he stubbornly kept to his plan of just waiting.<p>

A few hours later, having walked around the empty chateau to pass the time, Logos was back and glaring at the dead screen.

"What?" He grumbled at his reflection in the shadow glass, "You want me to check? Well, I'm not. Even if it is getting late, and it is the third day, and Yevon-damn know's where they've been up until now, probably not making any gil for the business I bet though. I'm not going to swallow my pride and check on them because I'm a teensy bit lonely." He crossed his arms at his reflection, his reflection face worried.

"Fine!" He barked before jabbing the 'stand-by' button hard. Light flashed and he blinked. With approval he saw there were several waves that he can punish those idiot goons with going to go get after he tracked them down. He pulled up the H.E.A.R.T monitoring screen.

Immediately, his brow twitch and he slammed a fist down hard into the crate, toppling his mug of coffee to shatter against the ground like it had many days before, "Damnit!"

Many glowing dots pulsed on the screen, all in the most random of places.

One was in the bottom of the Moonflow, another in the trees of the Moonflow, one in Guadosalam, another in the Thunder Plains, one all the way in Luca, another nearly to Bevelle.

He cursed up and down, before gritting his teeth and selecting different options on the screen before pulling up the radio controls.

"Fine time for your gizmo to malfunction, Taji," Logos stabbed the 'call' option with his finger so hard that the screen didn't register it at all until he took a few calming breaths and tried again, lightly. A radio voice with a familiar speech impediment immediately picked up the line.

_Figured youse would try and contact us eventually._

"Ormi, which one of these blasted shiny dots are you?" Logos kept himself from roaring though he still shouted into the radio speaker.

_Hmm, wanna take a guess?_

"Stop toying with me and report where you are, you oaf," Logos rubbed the space over his eyes, annoyed with the cheery mood that the person on the other line had and he lacked at the moment.

_Pshh! Pshh! Lo-pshh -gg-shhh-os? I'm losin' ya buddy-PSHHH!_

"I know you're doing that with your mouth, now be serious, idiot!" Logos gripped the side of the crate, nearly tearing a chunk off with his nails, "Would you please just report in?"

_Bwa ha ha ha! How's it like being all alone in there all this time anyways buddy? Real quiet I bet._

"Enough chit-chat, tell me where you are!" Logos felt a pulse throb in his forehead and he rubbed it again to try and calm it down.

"Ormi," Erie whispered over his shoulder, pressing behind him to whisper out of the range of the H.E.A.R.T's speakers, "Don't tell him."

"I's won't," Ormi assured before putting a finger to his lips and shushing Taji and Daji, who were holding hands over their mouths, shaking with their efforts not to laugh like a few misbehaving kids with a prank.

_So youse having trouble tracking us, ain't ya?_

Logos groaned, irritation nearly meeting it's maximum level, "Yes, if Taji is there, ask him why."

_Oh, I's can tell ya that. I's stuck the tracking wires on a whole bunch of birds and monkeys and let 'em loose. After buying a couple more ah course and syncing them with the system 'bout five days ago. There should be about fifty glowy dots on the screen, do ya see them Logos? _

"Yes!" Logos stared angrily at the many blinking circles. Three were in the Youth League Headquarters and two more in the Mushroom Rock Road area, but there were plenty ever where else as well. A little worry died, but only a bit.

_Guess which one is us!_

Logos caught the laughing , more like howling as they could not even begin to contain themselves, of the other goons in the background and ground his teeth, "Where are you?"

"Ormi," Taji whispered, past the laughing of their comrades, "What's next?"

Ormi made a zipping motion with his lips before Erie nodded from the tent flap at him. He nodded back and pushed the red button on the side of the H.E.A.R.T. "Logos?"

_Are you finally going to tell me where you are?_

"We'll be back tonight," Ormi smiled at the device in his hand, "We will call ya when we're close alright?"

There was a few noticeable seconds of no response before one came in the form of a sigh.

…_good, alright…_

Ormi flicked off the H.E.A.R.T. and grinned, "Yeah, he missed us."

"What are you guys doing in here?" Leblanc pulled the tent open and Ormi jammed the H.E.A.R.T. behind him and Nago non-conspicuously took it to hide in his coat.

"Nothing~!" Taji and Daji each grabbed and arm of Leblanc and walked out, dragging her along.

"Ormi?" Rouk, smiling and in good humor from the events passed, crossed his arms from his perch on the table of the mess hall as the other goons migrated out to follow their beloved former leader, "Was this your idea? Because I'm not seeing how this is working out."

Ormi exploded suddenly, nearly scaring the Dr. Goon off his seat entirely, into booming laughter, putting his whole body into it, leaning back and heaving his chest with generous gulps of air, "Bwa ha ha ha ha!"

"Geez, Ormi, what the hell?" Rouk slowly let himself relax, though he was still a bit ruffled, as Ormi's laugh died down, "Keep laughing like that, and people will start thinking you're nuts."

"Ha-ha huuuuuuuuu~" He took one last gasp of air to get his senses again before looking back at the doctor, "Come on, let's go. Youse ain't gonna want to miss the next part."

"Hmm?" Rouk leaned forward his weight balanced on his palms that rested on the table between his knees, "Say what?"

"Are youse coming or not?" Ormi was already half out of the tent, and he waited with his hands on his hips.

"Yeah," Rouk jumped down and followed after, Ormi already a few paces away from the tent now, "Hey, wait up, what's gonna happen?"

"Watch."

Ormi grabbed Nago by the back of his uniform and wiggled his fingers, his palm up in a demanding fashion. Nodding vigorously, the goon pulled up the H.E.A.R.T and shoved it into his hand. Then he passed him and was heading to the front where Leblanc and Mara were talking about the latter giving her a massage later if time permitted and the Yevonites didn't muck up their plans.

Erie picked up speed with Ormi, giving a nod to each other, and quickly swooped into the direct path of Leblanc, her arms out to the sides of her.

"Erie?"

"Boss, let's go uhm, er, do each other's hair or something," Erie pulled nervously at her longish bang, shifting in her place, "Or whatever girls- do with each other, when they're friends and about to leave-"

"Leave, already?" Leblanc sighed, "Well, I guess it has been three days…"

"Nooo!" Taji and Daji zipped to her side and clutched her middle from either side, "We don't want to leave!"

"But we're going to have to eventually," Erie sadly smiled, the side of her mask pinned to the side revealing her face, "Come on, we'll visit another time. We can't leave Logos all alone for too long can we?"

"Just a little longer, pleeeaase!" They released Leblanc's middle and clasped their hands together, "Erie?"

"Just a little longer," Erie smiled wider, her black lips very visible in the growing darkness of the setting sun over the Headquarters, "Not too long though, right Ormi?"

"We'll go pretty soon," Ormi whistled a bit as he pushed a command on the screen of the H.E.A.R.T, then with a _bib! _he pushed it into his pocket and looked up, "Tonight though. Have fun till then."

"Where are you going?" Leblanc turned, but was still trapped in the duo-embrace of the twins that had reinstated their hug.

"To the bathroom." Ormi smiled, "I'll be back."

"Alright…"Leblanc said slowly before screwing her face a little sideways, curious, at the doctor goon that started trailing behind the shield barring warrior, "Where are you going?"

"Oh! I-uh, um, gotta go to the bathroom too, I'll see ya in a minute," Rouk excused himself with a bow of his head before following after Ormi, who was quickly disappearing.

"Hey! Hold up!" Rouk yelled-whispered and Ormi stopped all together, a dopey smile on his face, "Where **are** you really going?"

"To the bathroom, like I's said, come on," Ormi motioned with his hand and he stepped behind the tent with the privies in it. Rouk lifted his head a little higher, for once the confused one instead of the other, and crossed his arms and followed behind. Ormi took the H.E.A.R.T from his pocket, stared at it, then jammed his thumb into a button on the back.

From there, he started to rock on his heels.

"What are you doing, now?" Rouk rasped, looking around a bit before finding a loosely lidded barrel, for trash, and sitting on it, giving his joints a rest.

"Waiting," Ormi inflated his cheeks with air before letting it out slowly, "Shouldn't be too long though."

"Why?"

"Just wait."

Meanwhile, Logos returned into the oscillo-finder room with a fresh cup of scalding hot coffee, having finished sweeping up the last mess and disposing of it proper. He sipped it slowly before tapping the screen to pull up the screen again that monitored the H.E.A.R.T.s It wouldn't do too much good of course, but one of those dots was bound to have moved closer, giving the goons away.

His fingers froze against the screen.

There was only one glowing circle, and it was right in the middle of the Youth League. His digits were shaking when he pressed call again, his chest squeezing a bit, until he took a gulp of searing liquid and hissed, even to him the heat hurting but it snuffed out the other annoyances running through his veins and dancing up his spine at least for the moment.

Ormi smiled yet again, only a bit more victorious than usual, at Rouk sitting on the barrel. The H.E.A.R.T was making the series of techno sounds that signaled an oncoming call. Rouk raised a brow and Ormi motioned for silence with a 'Don' say a word while I talk, alright?' to the Dr. Goon, who scarcely nodded in agreement before Ormi pressed the red button.

_Yes?_

"It's fixed." Logos growled, "I know where you are, idiot."

_Hah! Youse do? Welp, that's a shame._

"What are you doing there?" Logos lowered his shoulders, "I don't care if you visit that Boss. Why go through all the trouble to hide it from me?"

_I's didn't hide nothing! We said in the note we left youse coulda come with us if youse were awake and not hungover._

"Look, Ormi, are you planning on coming back or not?" Logos let his face crash into his palm, which connecting elbow was rested on the screen of the oscillo-finder.

_What kinda question izzat? Of course I'm planning on coming back! _

Logos sighed, "Alright…good, but when?"

_What are ya a kid? I's said we'll be back soon! _

"When is soon? And I should be calling you a kid! I'll kindly remind you this is a **job**! This isn't something you can just walk away from and not come back to for three whole days on the shortest of notices I've ever seen! You're an adult, use your head!" Logos shouted before lowering his voice to a growl, "So what are you still doing there? Shouldn't your 'secret mission' be over already? It's been three days!"

_Yeah, jus' a soon as youse cut the crap._

"The hell?" Logos, surprised, lifted his face from his palm, before sighing so heavily Ormi could here it all the way at the Youth League Headquarters, "Ormi, if this is one of your plans you need to lay off. I'm far to tired of trying to fight you and the Goons on this. I can't be with the Boss when-"

_Enough excuses Logos, if youse don' want the Boss, then I'll take her from Nooj __**and **__you. _

Logos's eyes widened and he sat straight up, "Ormi did I hear you ri-?" A loud mechanical screech met his ears and he backed away, clutching the sides of his head against the sound.

More dots appeared on the screen, the missing H.E.A.R.T.'s no doubt, all in the middle of the Youth League Headquarters, but the single dot from before was completely gone. Logos stared at it unblinkingly, slightly numb in his finger tips before he mouth, _what?_

Ormi lifted his foot from the crush H.E.A.R.T. device before frowning, "Taji ain't gonna like that." The warrior than looked up at Rouk, who was staring at him with mouth agape and his pupils pale blue-gray in the wide span of white.

"Whut?"

"Are you serious?" Rouk sputtered, regaining his former senses slowly, before taking in Ormi's straight face gravely, "Are you?"

"Whut do youse think?" Ormi smiled again, his eyes closing half way, "Come on, youse don' think youse are the only guy who can light a fire under Logos's butt do ya?"

Rouk's still widened eyes slowly became smaller, a grin cracking across his lips, "So- that was-"

"Pard'a the plan," Ormi held out his thick palms, "Don' get too excited."

Rouk let out air in one long sigh before patting his chest heartily, "Oh good! Because for a minute I thought you were actually going to take Leblanc if Logos didn't come!"

"I will."

Rouk stopped clapping his chest, "Say what?"

"I's said I will," Ormi blinked, his thick lips one straight line, "If Logos don' come get Boss for himself than I'll do it. Not even Nooj is gonna stop me, cuz I know the Boss, and I care tha'd much. She'll come back with us whether Logos comes or not, I's know's it."

"Are you sure?" Rouk swallowed, lightly coughing from the spit that slid down his throat earlier in his gasp and finished patting his chest, before he looked back up at Ormi, still serious-faced, "Why did you need me here anyways?"

"I didn't," Ormi shook his head, "I jus' said, 'youse ain't gonna wanna miss this', and I'm right, right?"

"Definitely interesting," Rouk nodded slowly, his chin lowering a bit as he watched Ormi carefully over his glasses. For a long moment, Ormi didn't even twitch, then suddenly he stretched his arms and yawned.

His big mouth closed, finishing the yawn, and he let his arms fall back down to his sides, "Well, they's are waiting for us, ya know?"

"R-right," Rouk pushed up his glasses with the palm of his hand and pulled the black mask back over his face to hide his expression. Which had to of been confused. With amusement, Rouk accepted it gladly, having never been confused in quite a bit of time, and was wonderfully even more confused that it was Ormi that made him so!

"Youse coming?"

"I'm coming," Rouk hopped from the barrel, flipping once in a goony action, before landing firmly and following after Ormi, hands in his pockets.

This is why he loved working for these people, they were by far the most interesting specimens of human life in Spira. It was one of the reasons why he joined in the first place, and stayed so long. They weren't like any other in all of Spira and on top of that, once he figured them out, they surprised him by proving he didn't know anything.

He stopped behind Ormi as they opened the tent flap to Leblanc's and Nia's tent. It was already stuffed with friends abound, so Ormi just left it open and sat in the tent way, Rouk doing the same.

Of course, there were other benefits…

"Rouk!" Leblanc waved her hand though the air, calling him closer, "Help me get-ow! Dimitri you little-"

It was good for a laugh, certainly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yo! See what a new review does? Two chapters up in one day! I love reviews since I barely ever get them. :D More reviews means more fuel for my creative ego and more chapters yeah! **

**Or something as equally crazy and making no sense whatsoever! **


	9. Meanwhile Confessions

"Chapter 9: Meanwhile Confessions"

* * *

><p>Logos sat staring at the blinking screen with his chin resting in his hands.<p>

What was that idiot thinking? He said himself he didn't like the boss in the same way that he did so what did that buffoon mean by 'I'll take her-'.

Logos narrowed his eyes.

The other dots were glowing now, no doubt as a dare to call again now that the other signal had been destroyed. But still, it was a bit unnerving that Ormi, even with Erie's help if indeed she did help, thought out a solid plan this far out. In fact, the most unnerving part was knowing that the plan probably wasn't finished yet.

Whatever Ormi was thinking about next was unknown to Logos, which only made him squirm a bit. After all, if he didn't know what he was thinking, then there would be no avoiding whatever nonsense he had planned.

With some irony, Logos remembered thinking once that only he learned something from the manipulating officials from their Yevonite days, when apparently, Ormi learned just as much if not more. Well, since there was no avoiding it, might as well work with his first impulse and go with it. But, then again, we should he play along?

It was obvious that Ormi was daring him to call again with all the now working shiny dots in his damn face, now the question was, should the gunner take that dare?

How did that idiot know how to work all these stupid H.E.A.R.T systems anyways? Well, maybe Taji and Daji were in on this whole idea as well. Perhaps, all of the goons were. For the only reason of course being that he do the impossible and _somehow _bring the boss back.

He ran the entire length of his face with his palm, not caring that it skewed his face as he did. Shaking his fingers through his hair, he kicked off to the side then leaned back against the useless crate turned table that couldn't even keep a coffee mug from dropping to the floor. Further contemplating what he was going to do next, he propped his feet on the creel basket holding more empty spheres.

He sighed through his nostrils, his brows firmly knitted. The obvious next course of action was to call then and to see what those pea-brains were about. Of course, that wouldn't save him from any further embarrassment with the boss whatsoever. Did those half-wits care that he actually had remnants of pride that he'd rather keep intact while he was in his twenties? Probably not...

"_Fine, I'll call-" _Logos massaged his temples with his forefingers, deciding in his mind what he'd finally do,_"-But I'm not so excited as to jump to it. I'll make those buffoons wait as punishment for trying to toy with me all this time."_

Logos laid stretched out a couple more minutes, his eyes fixed on those mocking blinking dots, before getting up to dump out his cold coffee and possibly get a refill.

The kitchen, smelling of Guado spices that once were housed in there but no more, welcomed him warmly from the cold dankness of the basement. The unused coffee from the cup clung to the sides of its former container and the sink as he spilled its contents down the drain. Running the water to dispel any more bits of nasty old coffee before looking at the coffee simmering in the pot.

Some people said it was bad to have too much anyways, so he left the cup in the sink, having no desire to drink anymore since he seriously burned his tongue and throat earlier with _that _little surprise comment.

Maybe Ormi was joking, or just messing with him, but by Lady Luck's skirts he sure sounded as serious as a plague. Then again, if anyone knew how to get completely under his skin, it would be Ormi, Logos realized. **He **was the one that always hung around him, and therefore, would know the most about him right?

Then why wasn't he, Logos, prepared for that comment! ? It should be the same for him right? He knows everything about Ormi and how to get under his skin right back! But, at the moment, there wasn't anything that bothered Ormi he could just bring up out of the blue, though if the opportunity arose he would for payback of _that _particular statement.

Passing by the open entrance way of the passage down to the basement, Logos was near about ready to go back again and take up that dare, before he deliberately made himself turn around and back to the switch panel.

Nearly punching it, it closed, him standing in the living room.

"Wait a little bit more idiots."

The gunslinger turned again, heading for the front door. Might as well get something to eat if he was going to wait, and honestly speaking he was tired of fruit.

At that direct moment, there was another tearful exchange at the Youth League Headquarters…

"Boss!" Taji and Daji clasped around her waist yet again, the hour of their leave having arrived.

"Don't cry," Leblanc nearly laughed at them closing their eyes together and leaning their heads into her stomach in unison. In age, they were seventeen, in mental capability they were probably younger than fifteen. Well, raising themselves for about that long would probably do that, but still, it was comical seeing them act like a bunch of babies. Didn't change the fact how cute it was.

"Yeah! Don't cry!" Dimitri crashed into Taji's back and hung limp around his shoulders, his hands around his head and face, "We had fun! Come back again soon, alright?"

"Oh, yeah, sure, if you don't rip my face off!" Taji put his hands up and pushed on the offending little hands pulling his face every which way in its attempt to hold on tightly.

"Boys," Lyra called to them, nearly toppling Dimitri from Taji's shoulders with her voice, and Braco immediately backed away from Daji, whom he had hugged in a less rowdy way that Dimitri did. It was hard to tell that the twins and Lyra were the same age.

Leblanc sighed, content. It would have been better if Logos showed so she could- well she didn't quite know what she'd do if she saw him again. Scold him? Or possibly hug him and kiss his cheek because honestly, she had missed him just as much as everyone else.

Kind of pathetic for a just about a month but, she sighed again releasing that weight of burden, since she was missing them all over again and a good chunk of them standing before her hadn't even left yet.

It was certainly easier saying good-bye to them this time around then it was originally though. Leblanc was grateful for that much.

"Bye Boss," Ormi smiled, then 'remembered' something, "Oh! Hey, youse know 'bout them H.E.A.R.T. things right?"

"Not things!" Taji snapped from the distance as he already drifted off.

"Yeah, well," Ormi continued upon Leblanc's nod, "Taji and Daji's finished them up an' I'll give ya one, you know's, case youse wants tah get a hold of us real quick."

"Thank you Ormi but-"

"No but's this time Boss!" Ormi shoved a sky-blue mechanism into her palm, "and Boss-"

Leblanc looked up as Ormi leaned in a little, lowering his voice so no one else could hear.

"Youse can talk tah Logos if youse like, ya know?"

For a moment, Leblanc held her breath without realizing it until she let it out in a huge gasp, her lungs yelling at her for making them wait for air. She closed her pinkish toned digits around the smooth exterior of the device, restraining from clutching it to her chest like a child.

"Alright," Leblanc nodded, "B-but how do you use this?"

"When it starts making noise, jus' push the red button." Ormi smiled, "When youse want tah put in a call press the red button. Sorry Boss, I don' know how to work it past that!"

Rouk crossed his arms, mumbling, "Bull shit."

"Thank you," Leblanc reached up and hugged Ormi around his neck, "This means a lot."

"Yeah, I know's." Ormi beamed, absolutely proud of himself now and lightly patted the back of her shoulders with his hands that nearly covered them up. The doctor goon watched all that more interested. Ormi was so sure of himself, like everything was going absolutely perfect in his plan. Maybe it was, whatever it was. Rouk looked to Erie, who stared unblinkingly out into the Mushroom Rock Road. She didn't share Ormi's face. How much of this plan had Ormi thought up by himself?

Shaking his head, Rouk took the first couple steps in front of the other goons gathered by the elevator by himself to start their journey back to the chateau. As Leblanc Syndicate members, they had done enough slacking. Though, one would ask the question about how much of a Leblanc Syndicate it was with their Leblanc standing behind them at the Youth League, waving goodbye...

Down the street from the chateau, over the hill and down into the deeper part of Guadosalam, sat another Leblanc Syndicate member slurping wheat noodles with vegetables and bits of fish in it.

Several people in the restaurant looked over at the tall gunner at the bar, mostly eying his guns that hung heavily from his hips. Adapt at ignoring the strange stares he always got when he went someplace new, Logos hardly noticed. Though he did note the men, looking very familiar to that of the ruffians and bandits on the Moonflow road, and their sharp swords looking at him from their tables in the corner.

"Say-" A voice caught Logos's attention, which was half on his noodles-half on the 'new' friends he was making in the corner-and he lifted his head, noodles hanging from his lips as he was halfway through slurping them up into his mouth.

"v-fhat dur yer vf-ant?" Logos narrowed his eyes at the person behind the counter top, cleaning noodle bowls with an off white cloth and a happy proper good natured salesman grin pasted on his face, while kind of forgetting he had his mouth full in the first place. He was in a sour enough mood, his usual grumpy self, to forgive himself for temporarily making himself look like an idiot with food in his mouth and instead, focus his irritation at the person who bothered him while he ate.

"You're one of the Leblanc Syndicate guys right?" The man pointed to the heart insignia on his shoulder, "That's their symbol."

_Lady's Luck, really? What gave that away? _

"That's right," Logos pushed the mouthful to the side of his cheek to answer.

The man went right back to cleaning the noodle bowls, "Your guys are always eating in here, like, almost every day. I hardly see you anymore though. Hey, what's your name anyways?"

Logos exhaled through his nose, studying the young man behind the counter. He was a cheery sort, always with a 'thank you and have a nice day' type when you get ready to leave the restaurant. Tan skin, blue eyes, and hair cut short to under his ear lobes, slicked back, most likely from sweat, and probably from working over the simmering noodle pots.

The gunner lowered his shoulders and rested the side of the stick contraptions that the eastern island people ate with on the edge of his bowl, before he answered the question the counter-boy had asked, "Logos."

"Yeah, I thought that it be you. They talk about you a lot you know?" The man finished wiping the clean bowls and then busied himself with stacking them on a shelf on the back wall behind him, "Heh, they're really- colorful."

"More like idiosyncratic," Logos lowered the very corner of his mouth as he rested his head on his palm again. It was only a reminder what he had to do when he got home. The possibility of losing all shreds of dignity and pride was not such an easy thing to accept after all, and though a full stomach helped put him up to the daunting task, he still had to prepare himself for it.

"Oh yeah!" The man reached under the bar, "The big guy paid for this last time. Said if a frowning skinny dude ever came in from the Leblanc Syndicate to give it him." The young man slid it over the counter with an apologetic look, "Think that's you, man."

"Hrm," Logos picked up the plastic wrapped cookie, his scowl renewed and a little bit lower than usual, before he drawled, "What the hell is it?"

A cutesy pinkish heart was printed on the outside of the clear wrapping, slightly obscuring the sight of the odd shaped cookie inside. It must've been one of the most ridiculous things he'd had ever seen being sold in Spira. And being a sphere hunter, he had seen quite a bit of interesting wares being sold in the market places that buyers liked to choose as there pick-up spots for their sphere orders.

"It's a fortune cookie from the love barrel."

"Excuse me, but I thought they were supposed to be random," Logos held the plastic with a thumb and forefinger, leaning away from it a little, as he held it up eye level. Inspecting it as well as being repelled by it, "That's the game with these right? Fate and luck and what-not."

"Well, the messages are still random but it has categories here," The man smiled big, his eyes twinkling as if he just absolutely loved explaining about any little aspect of his job to anyone. Logos inwardly groaned, figuring that the man was just like that and bracing himself for it. The young man didn't disappoint him as he continued,"Like we have a business barrel, a love barrel, and like a little life-advice thing. We get them cheap and we usual give a cookie from each with certain orders. But that big guy said your only going to need that one."

"This one, hmm?" Logos lifted his thin brow at the offending item. What else would that idiot think of next? With a sigh, Logos pinched either side of it and popped it open, muttering, "Watch it be something against the point of trying."

"Well," The serving man laughed nervously, "That has happened before."

Logos pulled the small piece of paper out and stared at the tiny print.

"Hey, mister, whats it say?"

_**Have faith, something wonderful is coming your way.  
><strong>_

"Vague," Logos smiled slightly before putting the crumbly cheap cookie between his teeth, "But it will do."

"Hmm?" The man lifted his eyebrows before smiling, "Wow! Whatever it was, it sure lifted your mood didn't it? You looked pretty down when you first came in."

"Observant," Logos ignored the bland taste in his mouth, and he hardly noticed how dry it left it feeling, "Do you do that with everyone?"

In a chippy voice, the young man wiped the counter and asked without looking directly at Logos, "Do what, mister?"

"Jabber to your customers when they sit at the bar minding their own business," Logos said flatly, though the rare bits of humor didn't leave his face as he said it.

"Just the guys that look like they need someone to talk to." The man smiled big again before walking down the counter to serve another customer down the bar. Logos shrugged, acknowledging the end of the conversation.

"Hmm," Pinching the piece of paper Logos held it out from him before putting it back in his empty bowl, scooting away from the counter with a loud screech of his stool's legs. Then, saying to no one in particular, "Thank you for the time then."

He stood up, tossed gil and a nice tip for the server on the counter and turned to walk out of the restaurant, pretending not to notice the ruffians from the corner get up after him without paying all the while.

The Youth League headquarters disappeared from sight as the elevator slipped down under the edge of the cliff.

"Aw," Daji moaned, adding a puppy dog whine to the end of his voice as Ruckus, escorting them down on politeness from the Youth League, hid a groan of annoyance behind clenched teeth.

"Well, Boss, it's been fun seeing ya again," Nago waved a bit as the elevator jolted into place. He was the first off the lift and the others, slowly and reluctantly, followed.

Once he was off, Rouk looked around for Ormi, with the intention to ask quietly what the hell he was thinking now. So far, it didn't appear that this 'secret mission' changed anything at all. The Dr. Goon spotted him on the edge of the cliff, pressing down on the side experimentally. The mushy ground gave away a little, but it still held to the side. Foreseeing danger with that test, the goon stepped forward and called out towards the heavy weight warrior.

"Ormi get away from there," Rouk's creaky voice started, "That thing might-"

Just as he was about to finish, Ormi stomped on the edge hard, the side slipping down from under him.

"Yikes!" Nago's eyes, having turned to the currant second-in-command with the sound of the Dr. Goon, caught Ormi falling and he reached out instinctively with the intention of stopping him, only getting his arms wrapped around his arm before being yanked off his feet with the tumbling warrior. If he'd of thought beforehand, or had the time too, then he would've gladly avoided going over the edge with Ormi.

"Nago!" Daji grabbed the back of Nago's jacket, only to have that slip from his slick gloved fingers.

Down they went into the cliff to land with a crack at the bottom.

Two seconds of silence, as the group left atop of the cliff stared at the missing edge with wide eyes and opened mouths, before there was a long high-pitched shriek.

"OOWWW!"

"Whoops," Ormi sat up, covering his ears as he did, while Nago rolled around clutching his arm and howling at the very top of his lungs in the wet dirt.

"Gyaaaaa!" Nago took full hissing breaths before removing his hand slowly, looking with pure horror at the blood flowing through his arm's wrappings, "Oh, man, I think I broke my arm!"

"I'd say so," Ormi checked himself for bodily harm, frowned when he found none, then stood up, "Well, sorry Nago, let's see what we can do- well, I's see's a bone, alright, let's get up to the Youth League an' see if someone up there can't help youse out."

"Gah!" Nago flinched, pulling his arm in vain away from Ormi's hand. The giant caught it though with a painful grip. Nago screamed with the sting the grasp caused, "Don't touch it!"

"I'm jus' gonna-" **SNAP **"See? Fixed kinda!"

"Owowowoww!"

Leblanc's head popped out from over the edge, "What happened? Are you alright, loves?"

"Tripped," Ormi smiled up, a bead of sweat sliding down the side of his face, "Heh, sorry. Nago got caught up with me an' uh, yeah, he broke his arm."

"Or for the sake of Yevon-" Rouk grumbled audibly before going for the lift, "I'll be right down!"

"I'll get a medic," Hacky offered, looking at the back of Leblanc's head, "Are you alright, Love-Love?"

"Yeah, just great. Of all the things-," Leblanc sighed, palming her face before sighing again, "Well, accidents happen. Go get that medic, love."

"Ormi, what the hell were you doing on the edge like that?" Nago gritted his teeth, still clutching his arm in pain and staring at it with tears brimming his eyes, "Man this freaking hurts!"

"Ever broke a bone 'fore?" Ormi patted his shoulder, jostling his shoulder with it and caused a yelp to burst from his lips. The warrior seemingly didn't hear it and went on saying, "It ain't that bad."

"No! I never-Ow! Maaa-hannn," The goon bent his head over his knees, feeling the dull pain shoot up his arm, through his shoulder, and almost to his head directly. "This freaking sucks man! Sucks!"

"Oh, well, hey Rouk!" Ormi waved when the Dr. Goon, none to pleased, closed in to the two men sitting on their bums.

"What were you thinking?" While in the process of pinning the mask aside so he see clearly, Rouk frowned down at Ormi's dopey face directly.

"Who me?" Ormi pointed a fat forefinger at his chest, then after the Dr. Goon nodded, he slapped the side of his face with the same hand, "Well, I was- I didn't mean for Nago tah get caught up with me."

"Are you saying you did it on PURPOSE?" Nago shot up before screeching to a pitch much matching a woman's on his last word, then crying out as his broken arm bumped into his bent knees and falling back in a little poof of Mushroom Road dust.

"Well yeah," Ormi checked himself up and down again for good measure, "Look's like youse broke my fall, Nago. I was meaning's to break something on myself on the way down. Well, at least someone got's hurt."

"For what?" Rouk groaned in the back of his throat and started tending to the broken bone properly, "You know there are easier ways to break something. Hell, I coulda broke your nose for you for such a stupid idea! You could of broken your neck with a stunt like that!"

"Oh, guess I's didn't think of that," Ormi sat up, dusting himself off with big flicks and smacks against his clothes, "Well, looks like we's might be staying a little bit longer."

"Oh, is that your plan?" Rouk repositioned the bone with another wet snap and Nago screamed bloody murder following the sound, "Or was this Erie's?"

Ormi smiled, "What do youse think?"

Logos returned to his lounging position against the crate with his feet propped up. He put a cigarette between his lips and lifted the edge of the long coat/robe he wore to search his lesser used pant's pockets for a light.

Flicking the lighter several times before it actually produced a flame, Logos wiggled the cigarette idly then stuck the end to the light and heat.

He actually felt pretty good at the moment. Logos had a fairly good workout dipping under the ruffians and bandits sword swings after they saw the color of his gil at the restaurant. They were slow in comparison to most other opponents he could name, so it wasn't any trouble to kick their guts, slam the back of their necks with the handle of his revolvers, crack his knuckles into their temples and, of course, get a good couple blasphemes and insults for them in while he was at it. He even got a good stretch afterwards dragging their unconscious bodies into a dark alley so other travelers would just shrug them off to a group of drunkards. The quick little scuffle did him good, reassuring him his skills hadn't dulled in this time that he spent the past month doing virtually nothing.

In fact, it could even be called refreshing. Even as he noted how weak they were, and with the thought that even a much younger, inexperienced, and stupid Logos would have no trouble with these thugs, his ego received a considerable boost. It almost proved how much of a fiend he was, beating, mocking, and just generally picking on men much weaker than himself like that, and enjoying it greatly afterwards, but he couldn't exactly chide himself for it. After all, he was the one that had the fun.

He blew out a long stream of hazardous smoke, glad that the ever nagging doctor goon wasn't around to rant his ear off about the effects of such habits.

A couple of smoke rings later, the oscillo-finder beeped, signaling an incoming call on the radio.

"Took them long enough," Logos smiled, the cigarette pushed to the corner of his mouth. He picked the radio speaker up and leaned back against the crate, making sure he was comfortable, cozy and more than prepared for any amusing statements from any of the goons or Ormi, before finally pushing the button on the side of the hand-set hard with his thumb.

"Hello?"

_Logos._

His eyes shot open from their lazily closed positions and he took in a sharp gasp of air, the end of the cigarette in his mouth sinking past his tongue and into the back of his throat.

_Hack hack! Koff! Gack! Koff!_

"Well-" Leblanc leaned away from the sound coming into her ear through the speaker of the new toy Taji reinvented, "Sounds like you're in good health at least.

_*Gulp*…_

"Listen, Nago broke his arm," Leblanc lowered her shoulders and returned the H.E.A.R.T to her ear, "And Ormi sprained his wrist it turns out."

_Lady save me, on what?_

"They fell off a side of a cliff," Leblanc put a thin hand to her still gelled up hair, dust caking it now from the picking up and dragging of Nago she helped Hacky with. "Ormi is saying they'll get patched up here and set out in the morning. Is that alright?"

_Oh yes, perfect…_ The radio voice groaned and Leblanc smiled a bit.

"You now if you're lonely there by yourself can come visit me too."

…_Not much point now. They'll be heading back by the time I finally get there. Besides, doesn't sound like prime visiting hours with that New Yevon thing coming your way. _

"Oh, right," Leblanc kept her smile on her lips, but she lost the shine in her eyes, "Sorry-"

_Ah! Don't apologize to __**me! **__Just uh- balls I screwed that up. Boss, it's not like I don't **want** to visit. I do. Erm, How is it going anyways…?_

"How is what going?" Leblanc lifted her head a little, her shoulders stiffening a bit.

_With- uhrm, with the Meyvn and all that…_

"Oh," Leblanc forced herself to lower her shoulders, "Uhm, well, i-it's going well, love."

_Good, glad to hear it._

For some reason there was a little squeeze on her heart, "Logos?"

_Yes?_

"You can still drop by, maybe-" Leblanc cleared her throat, pushing her voice to be firmer, "Not that I'm saying you're a baby or anything, love. But-"

"It's okay, he is." Anomi commented as Nago moaned at the Youth League medic wrapping his arm up in gauze while Rouk stirred a bowl of plaster.

Leblanc plugged her other ear against the conversation starting up among the goons about Logos's maturity, "Hmm, love?"

_Tell Anomi I heard that and I have a nice little mission for her in the ancient sewers of a ruin in the middle of the sea just for her._

Leblanc smiled, nearly laughing, "I will, love."

"Tell him he can shove it!" Anomi twisted her orangey tan Al Bhed nose to the side, "I'm not going into any disgusting sewers."

_Oh, like you wouldn't go up that cliff on Gagazet?_

"Ah! You said you wouldn't mention that Squinty!"

"Logos," Leblanc stepped through the medical tent flap to escape the sound of Anomi denying her wrong from that incident, and of course, the other goons, especially Mara who had been with her, correcting her and naming the reasons why.

_Yes? Hrm, it suddenly got quiet. You moved?_

"Outside, yes," Leblanc chuckled in her throat, "I almost feel sorry for the medics having to listen to them right now. They're loud."

_As always. _

Leblanc sucked in her lips a little, nibbling her bottom lip a bit, before asking, "Logos you're not mad at me for some reason are you?"

There was a few moments of silence before- _What would I be mad about Boss?_

"Oh, I wonder what," Leblanc nearly rolled her eyes sarcastically, touching her forehead with the tips of her fingers, her thumb on her cheek bone, and sighing. She lifted her head up and dropped her hand, resigning herself to talk a little bit more deeply than she usually allowed herself to. Her voice was light as she listed, " How about leaving so suddenly and shoving all the responsibility on you, or about not being so nice in telling you I wasn't coming back. Then again, it could be all the verbal abuse I've dealed you the last four some years since we first met, or- shall I name more, love?"

Pure humor came in through the radio. _Oh, this is a rarity. Are you actually admitting you did something wrong?_

"Don't push it Logos!" Leblanc growled, not liking how much enjoyment he sounded like he was getting from this at all, and her voice grew heavy again, "Rare as it is you shouldn't try your luck with me! Just because this is a radio line, and I'm not your Boss anymore, doesn't mean I can't still hurt you!"

There was a moment of silence.

…_I know that…_

"…Logos?"

_Hmm?_

Leblanc felt along her side with the hand not holding the H.E.A.R.T up, her fingers finding the edge of her leather tunic against her upper thigh and clutching onto it tightly. She took in a deep breath before closing her eyes and lowering her chin.

"I'm- I'm sorry, alright?" Leblanc pushed on the outside of her eyelids, "I think I hurt your feelings the most, didn't I?"

_I wouldn't say that…_

"Shut up! I know I did!" Leblanc rubbed on the outside of her arm with her free hand, looking around in case any nosy bodies wanted to listen in, even though her voice did raise a considerable pitch with her aggravation, "You tried to keep me from leaving. You just couldn't really say it. You just couldn't swallow enough pride or whatever to say don't go, or something along those lines, right love?"

_Boss, you're right...to an extent. Do-uhm, do you know- well, what I-_

"Logos you're doing that thing again."

_...What thing?_

"Where you don't know what to say and you keep stuttering and it's freaking me out!" Leblanc stomped her foot, her fist tight at her hip, "If you got something to say than say it!"

_No, not like this. I think I need to erm, well, I guess I'm due for a visit eventually. _

"You think?" Leblanc groaned, rolling her eyes in their sockets dramatically, "But I don't care about that anymore! What is so important that you can't tell me now?"

_Boss! I can't just-_

"No one's around on this end Logos," Leblanc ground her teeth, feeling anxious. She checked around her to make sure that what she said was true before lowering her firm voice to a whisper into the H.E.A.R.T. "What is it?"

_I don't know how to say this but, well, I-_

Logos leaned back covering his face. It was incredibly embarrassing, even without looking directly into her golden eyes that stared so deeply into his face. This alone was enough to make his body warm and his throat thick and dry. What's more, he could just see her angry face now, but he couldn't even tell if it would change to puzzlement or disgust if he did get out what he wanted.

_Logos? Are you still there? I don't know how to tell with this thing!_

"I'm still here," Logos leaned forward, his hands resting on his knees, "Ah, Boss, it's a little too late about what I feel. It really wouldn't change anything."

_What do you mean? What wouldn't change? What exactly are you talking about, Logos?_

"Oh, I'm pathetic," Logos slapped his face, talking mostly to himself at this point, "What am I even doing? There is just no way I can compete with that. Ah! But if I don't then- Gah! but I can't just- I'll show him one day of these days! "

_Logos, show who? Quit your sniveling already and just __**tell **__me! _

Logos leaned forward, his brows furrowed, "Nooj."

…!

Leblanc thumb slammed against the red button, and there was a loud _**Bitz! **_sound as the screen flickered off. She was breathing loud and her heart slammed against her rib cage hard.

"Damn," For a moment she stared at the dead screen. Was he going to say anything else? She probably just pissed him off more with that little nervous impulse, and Leblanc really hadn't meant to close it off like that.

Logos stared at the radio speaker cupped in his hands before wrapping a shaking fist around tightly and slamming his fist down into the crate with a hissing curse.

_Just great Logos, well done. You just scared her off for all eternity you big loony- you-!_ Logos fell forward his hands raking over his uncovered head and through his black stringy hair, his inner voice quieting to a grumble, _Just perfect…_

"Boss?" Mara stuck her head from the medical tent, "Boss?"

"Y-yes?" Leblanc took a couple of breaths before turning, her heart beating hard and nearly jumping out her chest even now, "What is it, love?"

"Rouk says Nago's all done and uh, are you okay?" Mara's soft brown eyes drew in more light from the night and showed her concern.

"Just peachy, love," Leblanc exhaled loudly before pushing up some loose strands of her hairstyle over her scalp, trying to return to her previous self. Her chest was still hurting with the thumping of her heart and there was a warmth growing in the back of her head, like a thought that was just blooming but hadn't quite been put into words. Leblanc withheld from mentally grabbing it and bringing it closer just yet, and instead added, "I'm just fine."

Ormi came out from behind Mara, all smiles as he held up his tightly rewrapped-in-medical tape wrist, "Hey Boss lookit- huh? Waz the matter?" His black eyes did the same trick that Mara's did, stealing the dim light of the stars and moon making them seem brighter.

"Nothing," Leblanc shook her head and took deliberate and firm steps forward toward them, "I'm okay, alright?"

"But youse uh," Ormi pointed to his eyes before shifting his weight and stepping closer, "Here let me-"

He reached out and with his calloused fingers wiped under her eyes, taking wetness that she wasn't sure was there with them.

"Jus' a little dirt!" Ormi smiled lopsidedly at the look on her face, "And some-" He flicked his fingers, "Iz all gone now, don' worry."

"Thank you…" Leblanc whispered unable to raise her voice.

Rouk poked his head out next, "What's the matter?"

"Ssh!" Ormi snapped his forefinger up to his mouth and closed the tent flap quick right behind the Dr. Goon's tail.

"What was that for?" Rouk listened to Taji and Daji rough housing and Anomi babying Nago inside, "Oh." He looked at Leblanc and smiled lightly, "Let's not worry them."

"Thank you." She said again.

"Boss, youse look kinda tired." Ormi opened up one of his heavily muscled arms and put it around her shoulders, "Hey! I'll walk youse back to your tent, 'kay?"

Leblanc nodded and waved slightly at Mara and Rouk, who followed behind Ormi as he pushed Leblanc along toward her tent that Nia and herself shared.

"Okay, what happened?" Rouk rasped when they reached their destination, his knuckles creaking when he closed them into fists.

Leblanc stared at her tent flap before shrugging, "Nothing, I just called Logos remember?"

"What did he say?" Rouk grabbed a hold of both of her shoulders and shook a little, pulling her sideways to look at him, "Do I need to knock him around again?"

A smile cracked on Leblanc's face, "I still can't believe you did that."

"And I'll do it again if need be." Rouk looked at her seriously over his glasses, his mask still pinned aside from before, "What did he say to you?"

"Well, he was just stuttering and-" Leblanc felt heat rush up into her head, and she was suddenly a little lightheaded with it. She sat on her knees, her voice surprisingly, if not annoyingly to herself, light for her usual self, and even lighter than it had been earlier when she apologized to Logos. She shook her head, successfully adding a bit of weight to it, "- I didn't really get what he was going on about. We were just talking about normal things than, uhm, well-"

"Boss?" Ormi lowered himself to the ground beside her, dipping his head so he can see her face more clearly.

"We started talking about Nooj a little, and then I wanted to say sorry to him about- this. And then he started talking weird and I think he may have talked tough about how he was going to show Nooj one day or something. I really didn't understand it at first but now…"

"Oh! He professed his love didn't he?" Ormi sighed, his shoulders lowering before he plopped back on his rear comfortably, "So's that was all. Good then."

"Do you really think so?" Leblanc grabbed the sides of her temples, her head muddled all over again, "He's never said anything before!"

" 'Cuz he couldn't Boss," Ormi smiled lightly, "But everyone could tell he liked youse."

"Was it really that obvious?" Leblanc's body sank, her forehead falling into both her palms, "Am I really that dense?"

"Wah-ellll" Ormi rolled his head, his eyes rolling with them, "Yeah, kinda. But it took me a long time to figure out youse like Nooj, so it's not like it's a bad thing…"

"What do I do about it?"

"Don't freak out if youse don't like him back," Ormi heaved a great puff of air and patted her back, "I mean, what can youse do? Youse love Nooj right?"

Leblanc blinked, warmth washing over her face.

"Boss, right?" Ormi titled his head sideways, leaning so he could see her face again.

Leblanc hid her blush behind her face with her hands, "Of course!"

"Then don' youse worry, jus' be yourself for us okay? Logos will be alright." Ormi made a thumb's up motion with a toothy grin to go with it, "Right?"

Leblanc managed a smile back, "Right…"

In the basement, Logos blew a long trailing snake of smoke from his mouth and watched it vanish as it flew up into the air.

Somehow he felt a little bit lighter, after lighting up another cancer stick though and dwelling a bit. At least with that much of his chest, and no reason to feel like something was left undone, he could relax, couldn't he?

With her reaction, he should've lost all hope, but then again, this hadn't completely played out quite yet. He shouldn't have told her at all, much less over the radio. How unromantic doing it over the radio but at least it was out, in a way anyways. So he didn't say the magical three words, but that can be saved for when they ever see each other again. And, they would, Logos decided.

Maybe she wouldn't get it, with luck anyways, but Logos never really was that lucky. And anyways, Logos found it hard to believe that Leblanc really was that stupid. No, she was smart, Logos knew that, and Leblanc would figure it out quick enough and either hate him for it, or think about it.

What was Ormi going to do now? Logos had got it out, in a manner of speaking, but was that enough or did the moron really expect him to bring her back all the way? Was this what he planned, or did the gunner mess up something, though that thought brought a little bit of satisfaction considering the messing the warrior had been doing with him as of late. And, Logos couldn't help but wonder.

He rubbed his eyes, not knowing the time in the dayless basement but deciding it was late enough. The goons would be back late tomorrow and once the New Yevon thing played out, he'd go himself to the Youth League, with spheres so he wouldn't trouble that Meyvn, and see what Leblanc thought about it. Or do the confession right if that needed to be done.

He slid off his seat and looked to the open door, two glowing green eyes staring at him through the open metal doorway.

"What are you staring at?" Logos sneered, staring right back into the slit pupils that watched him unwavering.

The rare, wide-awake Queen Coerul made a growling sound in its throat before trotting off, its tail swishing up against the stone floor.

Logos let his hand drop from where it rested against his hip holster and his revolver, letting up a little pent up breath out and lowering his shoulders, humming a bit as he watched the orange and gold fur disappear, "Hmm."

As Leblanc slept after some further comforting under her sleeping pallet, Ormi tip toed as best as he could manage and ran into Rouk right outside, drumming his finger against his arm that was crossed over the other, and tapping his foot impatiently.

"Was this part of your plan?"

"Nope, but it works out." Ormi put up his palms, his shoulders bobbing with a quiet laugh as he shook his wrists, being careful with his sprained one, "Nothin' tah worry ah'bout here!"

"I have a question for you," Rouk lowered his voice, his steely eyes watching Ormi carefully walk away and close the tent flap behind him, "Where is this plan of yours even going?"

Ormi turned slowly, his chubby round cheeks moving out of the way of his broad grin, as his eyes sucked in the light and absorbed the light of the moon into their blackness. He grinned at the Dr. Goon for another whole beat, before laughing, "Bwa ha ha! Youse will just have tah see, won't ya?"


	10. Treats, Sabotage, Another Love, Monkeys

**A/N: Logos's ego isn't the only thing that is recuperating! ****Reviews are my fuel!**

* * *

><p>"Chapter 10: Treat, Sabotage, Another Kind of Love, and Monkeys."<p>

* * *

><p>"Ormi, take this with you too," Leblanc held up a covered dish, "Don't eat it on the way, Twins."<p>

"No problem!" They saluted with a slap to their foreheads before going back to packing covered containers into a bag.

"Thanks for the food, Boss, whaz that?" Ormi took the round covered platter into his big hands, his eyebrows raising, "Can I look at it?"

"Sure," Leblanc smiled, "Just don't eat it."

"I'm not a kid ya know," Ormi screwed his mouth to the side and lifted the top, nodded slowly, before covering it again, "Oh, I's see. Don' worry, I'll be extra careful with it."

"Thanks," Leblanc lowered her shoulders as it was gently placed in a pack on top of the other covered dishes.

"That was a good investment wasn't it?" Nia leaned into her from behind, standing on her toes so she could wrap her arms around Leblanc's neck.

"Throw-away containers you mean?" Leblanc sighed, "Well, at least I spent my own gil on something."

"Yeah, speaking of that, let's have Hacky buy us breakfast!" Nia laughed loud and waved lightly at the departing goons. Leblanc had already finished up her goodbyes but yelled another one out to their backs as Lyra and her nephews 'showed' them the way out, Nago's arm in a hard cast and Ormi's hand already done healing with a good Hi-potion.

Leblanc lowered her arm from a wave and frowned at Nia's face beside her own, "I'd like to buy my own meal one of these days!"

"Oh really?" Nia stuck her tongue out, "Too bad! Like I'd let Hacky not pay for my friends."

"Whose making who do what now?" Hacky long legged stride stepped him up right behind him as they stood in the middle of the Youth League grounds, "Hey Nia-darling."

"Shut yer trap!" Nia let her arms fall from around Leblanc's neck to nudge her elbow hard into his side. Already things were falling back to normal with the Youth League.

Leblanc smiled lightly, something felt different.

* * *

><p>"Ormi! Ormi!" Daji jumped from the second lift, being the last to have to get off, "I think I heard some fiends!"<p>

"Ain't nothing to worry about." Ormi wagged his palm carelessly, "We's got a big 'nuff group tah scare them off, an' if it don't, then we'll take it out fine."

"What's in the bag?" Mara looked at the bulge at the top of the pack on Ormi's shoulders, "I don't remember a round container."

"Don' worry ah' bout it, it's a surprise from the ol' Boss." Ormi picked up his pace and started to lead the pack home for the first time in four days.

"Logos is gonna kill us once we finally get home!" Nago shook his head in dismay, "I already have a broken arm…"

"He'll be nice tah ya then, or at least he'll leave your arm alone," Ormi then tilted his head back and bellowed his boisterous, "Bwa ha ha ha!"

Nago frowned, his head sinking, "I don't think it's really funny…"

"Oh quit being a baby," Anomi kicked his heel with her toes, walking right behind him and nearly tripping him with that move, "Logos has had four whole days to blow of steam."

"Or build it up!" Nago retorted, "I don't think it's going to be all smiles is all I'm saying."

"We'll be fi-ne," Ormi stretched out the last word, opening his mouth wide, "Don' worry! He'll be fast asleep by the time we's get there!"

* * *

><p><strong>Nok! Nok! Nok! <strong>

"Mnnn," Logos shifted under his heavy comforter, his eyes screwed shut.

**Knock! Knock! Knock!**

Another groan and the gunner reluctantly rolled over onto his stomach and peered at the time on the screen of his monitor, before plopping his head dead-weight into his pillow with another moan. No one was going to get him up this early.

**NOCK! NOCK! NOCK! **

"Stop pounding on my door it's three thirty in the morning!" Logos picked up his pillow and smashed it over his head, curling the sides with his hands around his ears. Dully, he remembered the goons were expected two hours ago, but surely they were to tuckered out by the trip and dozing off in their own rooms instead of bothering him!

**KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!**

"Ughhh," Logos rolled once more, before dropping dead off of his bed and landed on the floor with a hard thump. After a quick incomprehensible string of muttered curses that not even he could make sense of, he threw open one of the double doors of his room and screeched with a fist raised, "What the hell do you want!"

"Knock, knock, knock," Ormi beat his knuckles against the gunners forehead that had poked out of the door with his yelling.

Logos blinked his bleary eyes twice before Ormi spun into the room on his toes, pushing Logos aside to get through the door, with a forefinger and thumb to his chin and a pack slung in his elbow, "What, no ladies?"

Still half asleep, Logos rubbed the grogginess from his face, "Ladies?"

"Oh, so you didn't bring anyone home while we were gone." Ormi slyly smiled, "Alrighty then!"

"Not that it is any of your business," Logos was about to stretch his long arms behind his head when he spied the bag, "What the hell is that Ormi?"

Ormi swung the bag around in his right elbow and caught it with his left hand, straightening it out in front of him. With comically large and twinkling eyes, dramatically puckered lips, and even a forced pretend rosiness in his cheeks, he announced, "Honey, I've brought breakfast!"

"What kind of harassment is that?" Logos narrowed his eyes dangerously at the poor joke as Ormi settled the bag down on the ground and shuffled through it, lifting up container after container of food and plopping them with no particular care onto the card table.

After eight hefty containers were picked up and tossed onto the table, Logos fully awakened when he stared at the quantity, roared down at his dumb-faced friend who was nearly whistling as he continued to dig through the pack, "HOW CAN ANYONE EAT ALL OF THAT?"

"There's cake too!" Seemingly not hearing him at all, even when he shouted it, Ormi picked up a round container that was at the top of the pack before but he had set aside earlier and took the lid off of it carefully.

"Where did you even- That's an entire cake!" Logos's eyes widened considerably as Ormi plopped the vanilla cake covered in white frosting and an assortment of different berries cascading over the top onto the card table so haphazardly that it made a few strawberries from around the edges jump up to land on the table itself.

"Looks good right? The goons and I already ate some of the other food when we's got home but we thought we'd save the first piece of cake for youse," Ormi cheerfully dug to the bottom of the pack and produced a spoon and fork, "Jus' lookin' at it makes me hungry again. Come on, which one do you want, spoon or fork?"

Logos stared at the icing writing on the top of the cake.

_I Think I Get It._

"Ormi, who made this?" Logos pointed with a lean trigger finger down at the containers littering the card table.

Ormi himself settled himself onto the bench part by the table, "Youse means youse can't guess yet?"

Logos furrowed his brows, a bubble of emotion filling his chest before he dashed out the door.

"Wait Logos!" Ormi bumped into the table, nearly toppling the food and cake to the ground before it settled safely back on its base as the warrior caught the gunner's long arm in his meaty fist, "Where do youse think youse are goin'?"

"To give my gratitude, or actually, to apologize for doing it like I did!" Logos pulled on his arm, successfully making more ground even as someone as big as Ormi slowed him up. Logos's feet were sliding back considerably though as he did.

Ormi dug his heels into the basement floor as much as he could, "But, Logos youse ain't even got good pants on! Youse are just in your's boxer shorts, buddy!"

Logos's feet screeched to a halt and he looked down at the faded shorts, tight fitting Yevon symbol marked shirt, and bare feet. He put a hand to the side of his head, feeling really giddy and wobbly all at once, and he steadied himself before looking blankly at Ormi, "Erm, thank you for stopping me then."

Ormi puffed out his cheeks before huffing out the air slowly, calming himself down from the sprint he did after the gunner.

"If youse want's to thank the Boss, than jus' wait until after all that Yevonite stuff alright?" Ormi let go and shrugged, his fingers splaying as he put them off to the side of his body with a flick of his wrist, "Or youse could jus' call her on the H.E.A.R.T., I left one with her."

"Oh," Logos rubbed the space his hand landed on the side of his face.

"Like I said anyways, I'm hungry again, so come on," Ormi waved his thick hand over his shoulder, gesturing for Logos to hurry up, before walking with heavy sure steps back into the gunner's room, "An' I wanna watch the news so let's eat it in your room."

"Alright…" Logos followed behind, feeling lighter on his feet than before.

As soon as the gunslinger returned to his room, Ormi reiterated, "Spoon or fork?"

"Fork." Logos said absently as he sat down in the chair in front of the table. Ormi punched the different commands to pull up the international Spirian news on the monitor before plopping back down on the bench that lined the wall closest to the card table.

Shelinda was up and about even at this time, sharing the news about the day's weather in Luca and neighboring areas before slowly transitioning the topic to political struggles in Spira yet again, even as the factions leaders have no desire for fighting.

"So did the Boss make all of this?" Logos stabbed a tomato chunk and popped it into his mouth.

"Yep, ain't it good?" Ormi shuffled things onto his spoon, careful with the things that slipped from it.

"Yes, I wasn't aware she cooked at all," Logos smiled quite big, for him anyways, both corners of his mouth rising and the bottom of his pinched eyelids crinkling, "It's incredible really."

"Oh, so it ain't jus' good?" Ormi smiled as a little bit of pink came to Logos's high cheekbones.

Shelinda moved across the screen, catching up to interview someone on their political views.

"Well, that was good." Ormi rubbed his stomach, putting his spoon against the reusable tray and reaching across the card table, "Tah make up for being gone so long, I'm planning on picking up several spheres today for youse, so I'm gonna steal some cake now."

"Wait!" Logos caught Ormi's bulky wrist, stopping the stumpy knife that had been flicked out of his armband from its journey to the untouched cake frosting. Ormi lifted one of his eyebrows and opened his mouth a bit at his comrade, and Logos explained, in a none-to-calm fashion, "It's too precious to cut!"

"What are youse talking about? Boss made it so we's can eat it," Ormi yanked back a little, freeing his hand.

"Right…" Logos sighed, putting a hand dramatically to the side of his head, "At least take a picture of it or something."

"Already did!" Ormi produced a sphere with a floating Leblanc heart in its pink center from his pocket, smiling toothily before swiftly putting it out of Logos's reach.

"I want to see it!" Logos nearly bumped into the knife in Ormi's hand but the latter slipped it downward in time.

"It's mine! Nyeh!" Ormi pulled, being careful with knife in his hand, a little flab of skin under his eye and stuck out his tongue, "Wanna buy it from me?"

"Oh for the love of Lady Luck, I just want to look at it!" Logos agitatedly flicked his upward facing palm, demanding it be handed over, "I'll give it back if that's what you want."

"Why look at it on a sphere when the real thing is right there?" Ormi motioned to the cake, "Youse ain't planning on giving it back, that's what!"

"Would you just pass it over?"

"Mmm, nope!" Ormi smiled and stabbed the cake in it's center before pulling back a straight line, then stabbing it again, making another line for a triangle piece.

"Fine!" Logos sat back into his seat with a plop, Shelinda's chippy voice right behind him, "If that's the way you want it than, I'll just steal it later."

"Ha! If youse can find it later," Ormi tilted his knife onto it's side and slipped the smooth edge under the cake slice and lifted it up and onto his reusable tray.

* * *

><p>Leblanc picked at the food on her tray, not finding much interest in it that morning.<p>

"Are you alright?"

The familiar deep voice startled Leblanc into actually jolting upright and dropping her fork onto her metal tray with an unseemly loud clatter that turned heads towards her spot in the Mess hall tent.

"I'm sorry," Nooj snorted a little, so faint in fact that Leblanc and anyone else listening wouldn't have been quite sure they heard it at all, before asking Leblanc, "Did I scare you?"

"No, love, I'm alright," Leblanc put a hand to her fluttering heart, which still wasn't quite calm from the night before.

Ormi actually asked her if she was in love with Nooj. Of course she was! It wasn't like that was going to change after one petty month!

"That's good to know," Nooj suddenly looked very grave faced, "I'm going to need you now."

"The scum of New Yevon showed up finally?" Leblanc stood straight from her seat.

"Exactly that," Nooj's voice lowered, "We want to hit them hard first off, to end this as fast as possible."

With pride, Leblanc smacked her hip out of habit with her palm, "Leave it to me, love!"

Unknown to them, at that exact moment down at the entrance of the Mushroom Rock ravine, four shadows bumped into each other when the first one of their line they formed stopped. The sun was momentarily blocked out, causing bluish darkness to cover everything.

"Ow! Move it!"

"Stupid, you bumped into me!" A dopey voice shot back, "You move it."

"Please get along you two!" A frantic light voice chided with a shaking end on her words.

A dull monotone voice murmured, "Shut up, the New Yevon guys are coming, hide."

Soldiers, rag tag to say the least, and unsurprisingly since they had no permission whatsoever from the actual party they served to conduct this attack, marched into the opening. Right on the time expected.

"Oh, yeah," the second voice victoriously cooed, "Easy as pie."

"Hey, what does that even mean?" The third voice piped, "I mean, pie is kinda hard to make. It's not easy at all!"

"Shut up!" The first voice snapped, "They're going to hear us!"

The fourth voice and the first one in the line moaned quietly and in a dreary tone, "Oh, for the love of-"

"You're louder than me!" The second voice raised his tone to a shout at the first voice.

One of the soldiers stopped, "Huh?"

"Eep!" The third voice squeaked just as the sun broke through the clouds and light, in a swift moving wave, reclaimed the land once more just as the peon of the Yevonite rebel group looked over the boulder.

"Taji you idiot!" Daji wrapped his gloved hands around his brother's throat, "Your loud mouth got us in trouble again!"

"Wh-ell it was yo-ur big mouth tha'd started it!" Taji yelled through gasping breaths.

"Hi there!" Mara waved friendly, though nervous just the same, at the soldier rubbing the side of face with the side of bayonet under his helmet, "We were just uhm, looking for an ah, dog! We lost our dog and- say, you haven't seen it have you?"

Getting to business, he positioned the end of the gun on them, gathering more attention from his comrades who came to join him.

He barked, "Who are you?"

The goons looked to each of each other's covered faces. There insignias were plain to see, wasn't it obvious?

"Come on, tell me you've heard of us," Daji turned, his hands slipping from around his brother's neck, "You should know us by our uniforms alone!"

"I'll ask one more time, who are you? And who do you work for?" The soldier's finger grew taunt on his weapon's trigger and he spaced his feet apart, "I give you to the count of five before I eradicate you from the face of this earth!"

"Oooh," Taji nearly whistled, "He talks like Logos,"

Daji lowered his head into his shoulders, agreeing with his brother, "Tell me about it. But, Logos is kinda scarier, right?"

"One!"

"Shouldn't we do something?" Mara looked to Erie who was shaking her head in disbelief.

"And to think that our bosses are part of the heroes that saved Spira with the Gullwings, Gippal and the Meyvn Nooj, and they don't even know their insignia! The nerve!" Erie, though usually dull on missions, got defensive about their leaders, "Everyone should know about them!"

The other goons nodded, agreeing.

"Two!"

"How do you not know who we work for, you stupid moronic oaf?!" Erie spat out, before yelling, "How dare you!"

"It is kind of surprising..." Mara admitted with a nod, the twins joining her with slow shakes of their heads.

"Three!"

"Hey Taji! He's almost there!" Daji pointed at the bearded guard's face and laughed.

"Unless he doesn't know how to count and messes up," Taji nudged his brother with his elbow.

The rebel soldier's face grew red and he barked out quickly, "Four! Five!"

"Hiyah!" Erie kicked up with her heel under the rifle point, forcing it skyward as the man's finger pressed into the trigger.

"Twins now!" Erie commanded, her leg hooking into the soldier's legs just as the shot's first echo sounded in the ravine.

"Right on!" They high-fived each other before turning to the slightly raised lump of dust. Digging together they found at the exact moment, two handles on either side of a block of steel and they gripped in pulled back on them simultaneously. A long cord attached to each of the handles was revealed with a yank and it instantly revved up an engine with a loud crack of an explosion and a humming of a machine.

The machine coughed black smoke, its vibrating dusting itself and shaking the remaining filth covering it from its compact surface. Glowing symbols shaking on the outside, flickering, and then becoming more intense in their brightness as the machine started to fully warm up, filled the shadowy parts of the ravine with multi-colored light.

"Sweet!" Taji smiled and turned to clap his brother on the shoulder, to find him missing, "Daji?"

"Taji!" A rebel had his arm around his throat, squeezing hard and Taji could hear his brother choking and sputtering for air.

"Let him go!" Taji flew forward, a wrench picked off the ground and pulled tightly into his fist, "Now!"

_**Crack! **_

"Heh!" Mara dropped the boulder to the ground with a _thunk _and smiled at Taji, "It's alright!"

"Sweet air!" Daji gasped, practically eating up the exhaust filled air in gratitude for having it again as the machine began to spit up sparks.

"Don't do that!" Mara shook her head and squealed, "That can't be healthy!"

"Yo, idiots! Why am I doing all the work?" Erie shouted over her shoulder with a rough voice and raised her hands in the air, pushing her palms outwards, and fire flying the middle of her hands, "Help please!"

"Oh, right!" Mara lifted her hands and chanted, her one layer steel fan poised over her head. She opened her eyes and kicked her leg forward, her fan stabbing the air in front of her and moving it aside, "Waterga!"

There was a _spoosh_ and a couple more cries from the rebels being bombarded with spells.

A defender jumped forward, his flamethrower clutched to his side.

"Taji! Daji!" Erie hopped back from the flame just as it incinerated the spot she was standing, her mask getting caught and singed away while her face burned with heat, "When will that stupid machine-" She balled up her fist as the defender redirected his aim. She threw her entire weight forward and crashed her knuckles into the defender's nose, "WORK!"

"Now!" Taji and Daji, seeing the gauges at maximum power, crashed their palms into the duo black buttons on the side of the belching machine.

There was a giant boom, and Taji and Daji immediately fled, Daji grabbing Mara and Taji grabbing Erie, as they headed out towards Djose Temple at breakneck speeds.

"Get them!" A rebel leader shouted and pointed after their tracks just as the machine sung with a high ring, "What the hell?"

It glowed to a eye-searing brightness then exploded into the faces of the rebels, blinding them and binding them to their spots.

Ice cracked against their bodies, and the soldiers not in the direct proximity of the explosion, struggled against their icy imprisonments. The other head's were limp but their shoulders rising with each of their breaths that they took.

"Mission-" Taji and Daji leapt into the air, flipping over Mara's and Erie's heads, before their hands crashed in the middle of their flying arc, "Complete!"

"Argh!" The rebel leader watched them fly down the path and disappear around the bend, kicking up dust as they ran away in their goofy costumes.

* * *

><p>Hacky scratched his head, the creaking ice still giving up the chilly steam even at high noon, "I don't get it. These are some high powered spells and there isn't a mage insight to maintain it."<p>

"Well ,that's a disappointment," Nia shouldered her long sword, "I wanted my kicks!"

Leblanc smiled, looking at the remnants of a machine with a very familiar symbol spray painted messily on its side.

Lyra slowly made her way to cozy up toward Leblanc before finally leaning into her back, "What's that, Love-Love?"

"Oh, not you too with that nickname, love," Leblanc rolled her eyes, tearing them away from the heart with the circles in the heart's bend.

"What can I say?" Lyra shrugged, "It suits ya."

"Well, now this is-" Nooj limped closer, obviously amused with the turn of unexpected events, "-dealt with perhaps you should get word to your goons that it would probably be in their best interest not to meddle with the Yevonites unless they want unwanted attention from them."

"They'll be fine," Leblanc sighed, "These aren't the New Yevonites after all. No one really needs to give rebels desirable attention anyways."

"Nope," Nia hacked and spat onto the face of the nearest icicle, and even Leblanc thought that was crude but took it in stride as Nia went on, snorting, "Just a bunch of ruffians."

"Cute," Ruckus sat up, grenades jingling at his belt as he rubbed his blackened hands together to rid them of dust, "Just cute…"

"I'll say thank you for you," Leblanc lifted her chin, not liking his tone.

"Why is it any of their business?" Ruckus twitched feeling eyes on him and turned to peer out toward the entrance, only to shake himself and look back, swearing he saw pink and green but deciding against it, " I don't see why they need to get involved."

Lyra scoffed, " Lay off, Ruckus. They're just worried about Love-Love."

"They need to either join us or get out of our way," Ruckus shot back.

"That isn't very appreciative," Nooj said, his tone level, "I should think us lucky we don't have to deal with them ourselves. Now we can focus on more pressing matters than brute fighting."

"Peh," Ruckus lowered his voice, "Politics."

"Not everything needs to be fought with a sword and gun," Nooj commented, his eyes half-lidding, "Try and remember that, Ruckus."

"Hmph, as you say," Ruckus crossed his sturdy arms and looked to the side. Leblanc wanted to march forward and yank his ear for his impudence.

"Don't bother," Elma put a red leather bound hand on her shoulder, seeing the stiffening it had done a moment before, "He's not worth you're time."

"This is correct," Commander Lucil, hands folded before her, said wisely, "Some are more interested in fighting than peace. Just as New Yevon have these men, we too, have them. The only way to teach them otherwise is to show them that glory is really in peace, not battles won."

"Nicely said," Nooj smiled, his head dipping a little, "Though I'm not sure that Ruckus is that particular type of man. Though difficult, we shouldn't judge people by their appearances."

"I think my judgment is just right," Nia stuck her tongue out towards Ruckus's turned back. He was sulking, staring at the ravine wall.

"You never know," Nooj lightly shrugged before stabbing his cane back a little to help turn himself around.

Leblanc looked at Ruckus's lowered shoulders and bent neck before slowly turning with the rest of the Youth Leaguer's returning back to their posts guarding the headquarters while the others, instructed by Yaibal, moved about capturing the rebels encased in ice.

Leblanc didn't think of the meaning of the Meyvn's words until later much later that night.

* * *

><p>"Okay, so I said that I wouldn't use that, right?" Hacky used his fork to demonstrate, "But the guy didn't believe me and got ready for it. I then told him <em>exactly <em>what I was going to do. A right punch straight, okay? And this guy still thought I was bluffing, and got ready like I was going to come at him with my left. So what am I supposed to do?"

"Hit him with your right!" Dimitri jabbed in boxer's style with his right fist.

"I hit him with my right!" Hacky did the same motion, "Then the guy spun around five-!"

"Ahem!" Braco, seriously critiquing his story since the first verse, coughed into his hand and pushed up his thick brimmed glasses knowingly.

"Oh, right, just a couple times perhaps," Hacky's bright blue eyes sparkled as he smiled wide, showing his narrow white teeth and his one fake silver tooth in the corner of his mouth which was explained in an earlier story, "And he was knocked out cold."

"Is this before or after he shot you in your balls?" Lyra slid her dinner spoon slowly from her mouth, making a big show of it, before pointing it at him, "Hmm, Hacky-sack?"

Hacky flinched then, offended, and held a hand to his chest, "Not nice, Lyra! But," He hung his head on his skinny neck, "-That's another story…"

"Tell that one next!" Dimitri and Braco called, holding their utensils up like victory weapons.

"No, no, you're going to want to hear about the one when Hacky here killed about three men back in his soldiering days with one bullet." Hacky leaned forward, his sharp thin elbows resting on the mess hall table.

"Oh, but the other one sounded so much more interesting!" Nia laced her fingers and plopped her chin atop her knuckles, "Tell it Hacky, or I'll tell _my _version about how you screamed like a little boy about yer jewels being missing!"

The group of young Youth Leaguers howled at Hacky's expense as his mocha skin turned pinkish in his face.

"Enough messing with him," Leblanc smiled, chuckling at the same time as she scolded, "That's not nice."

Vakida the shop woman opened the tent flap, slipped in, and then grabbed a tray from the extension on the serving table without saying or looking at anyone. Only because the tent open made a cold breeze pass over the back of Leblanc's neck did she notice her at all, and for some reason she kept her eyes on her and followed her back out, absently looking in her direction, as everyone continued to poke fun at Hacky.

Turning her attention back to her friends, Leblanc grazed across Ruckus staring blankly at the still moving flap.

She shook her head and blinked, seeing Ruckus start to pick back at his food with his more rowdy friends swapping stories around him as well.

She dismissed it and started listening to Hacky spin tall tales again about missions that conflicted with ones he explained earlier, Braco catching the slip-ups before even Leblanc or Lyra did.

"Alright already, would you give me a break?" Hacky put Braco in a headlock, his knuckles rubbing the top of his bowl-haircut brown hair and mussing it up, "I can't keep up!"

"Liar Liar, pants on fire," Braco smiled and struggled, his thick glasses falling down his nose."

"I never lie! All I saw is true!" Hacky rolled his eyes, Braco squirming loose, "Just maybe stretched a bit..."

"What good would that do us?" Lyra was arguing with another, a League Ranger , about politics and the loyalties of Spira, "The people of Spira will never surrender completely again! There isn't anything to worry about in that department!"

"Well," The other countered, "It's not like everyone isn't like that. There is still plenty fools that would quickly follow another reformation of New Yevon if that ever arose."

"But that's not going to happen!" Lyra shook her head, leaning forward with her shoulders pulled up defensively, "The Praetor Baralai isn't so weak as to allow another reformation so early in the game! Besides, who cares about some church officials bellyaching about the 'old ways'. The only people who did care were frozen and put on ice before being taken into custody by us today! We don't need to worry there!"

"Lyra, you don't really think that they were the only ones concerned about the thoughts of those church officials? There are others, I'm sure of it! Just because we caught the more ballsy today, doesn't mean that more won't grow a pair and step forward-."

Leblanc heaved a sigh, not entirely wanting to listen to the conversation anymore, though they had points. Before joining the Youth League, politics were in the back of her mind. After all, it wasn't anything a sphere hunter had any mind bothering themselves with. The only thing she concerned herself is what pertained directly to the Youth League, and Nooj of course, but now it seemed like havoc in New Yevon would mean trouble for them as well. Baralai seemed like a decent man, but the dirt and grit of Yevon can't be washed out in a measly handful of years even by one with all the talent in the world. It would take time, and Leblanc only hoped that the time would hurry itself along and take a little bit of weight off of this conflict.

The clamor of the mess hall seemingly intensified, with Braco and Hacky starting to rough house, clattering things on the table, Dimitri screaming excitedly, Lyra and the Ranger still heatedly discussing politic topics, Nia now choking Hacky to help Braco who slapped her hand like a wrestler, and the friends of Ruckus laughing boisterously about something or other, and Leblanc clutched the side of her throbbing head.

With a bit of worry about the Youth League's, and Nooj's, future ahead and the plans forming with the New Yevon rebels, it only made the sound like hammers that jammed directly into her cranium.

Sitting up, her tray empty anyways, she dropped it off to the dirty hand dish washer and turned to leave for a more quieter setting, rubbing her temples as she went.

Leblanc didn't even notice that Ruckus had already left some time ago.

The dirt crunched under her feet as she walked around aimlessly to cool her head. Patrols conversed idly near the gate and around the perimeter, but still it was a lot more calming than in the mess hall where it was only getting louder.

The noise of the group died down the farther she let herself get away. Nia and Hacky would probably wonder where she went off too for a bit, but they'd also probably just assume she went to bed.

Leblanc's feet stopped abruptly as her down trailing eyes caught the first sight of two feet in the top of her vision. Looking up, Ruckus stood sideways to her and stared ahead of him.

Sliding off to the side, Leblanc watched him continue to stare. With her hand touching the barrel she ducked behind, Leblanc leaned out and squinted at his line of vision.

Vakida slammed a hammer down into red hot metal, warping it into armor. Ruckus watched, his arms folded over his chest as he looked in through the crack of the shop tent.

She blew up some free frizzy hair out of the way of her goggles before crashing her heavy metal-working hammer down again. Slowly, something of a closed mouth smile spread over Ruckus's lips as Vakida moved the shoulder piece to a bucket of water using tongs.

Leblanc blinked, knowing this face well, having been making it herself for a long time when thinking about Nooj.

Vakida lifted the tongs up, inspecting and admiring her work with the same eye, and then put it on a table by her uneaten dinner to start another matching one.

Ruckus shifted, his feet spread, before he turned and walked away, a frown now on his face.

Leblanc ducked completely behind the barrel, hoping that when he past by her that the barrel would be enough to hide her body from his notice. Fortunately, he didn't, then again, he didn't seem to notice much of anything at that point.

Leblanc leaned out again, watching Ruckus drag his feet, his body following the dark shadows of the edges of the tents and Headquarters before stepping into the moonlight towards the main tent with his familiar cocky and heavy stride.

She couldn't see him after he turned, some Leaguer's tents blocking her view, but she could tell that his body leaned towards the male's line of tents. She screwed her mouth sideways, her eye brows bent, before standing up and slowly, like him, walking in the shadows of the perimeter and then picking up the pace to fall into her and Nia's tent. Leblanc, for some reason, made a note in her head not to tell anyone, because it seemed like a big secret she stumbled upon.

Leblanc thought about it and guessed that Ruckus must be in love with Vakida, but she was also pretty sure that the shop-woman didn't know either. It must account for some of Ruckus's behavior as well.

Leblanc sighed as she rolled into her pallet. She shouldn't be thinking too hard on the bomb-fool's love life when she already had her own problems with it as it was...

* * *

><p>Ormi huffed, heaving in large gulps of air as he bent over his trunk-like legs. Those small beady eyes mocked him as he stared it down.<p>

"Alright youse-" Ormi inched forward, his arms out in front of him, "Jus' cooperate with me an' I won' haveta beat youse stupid little-"

The monkey bared its sharp little teeth and chattered, his canines clicking as it aggressively jumped on its hind legs, the orangey prize cupped in its arms.

"Give me tha'd sphere!" Ormi launched himself at the furry devil, the monkey screaming before jumping back up into the stony ruins.

"Ohhh!" Ormi groaned, more scrapes and ancient dust sticking to his face for the effort of trying, before the side of his thick fist crashed into the damp rubble littered floor. He looked up at the tail disappearing beneath some cracks made by an old balcony collapsing and moaned again before calling up a challenge to the nasty beast, "When I's get ah hold of youse-!"

The monkey, damn that cheeky little thing, stuck his head back and blew out air over its sticking out tongue, making a rude farting sound in Ormi's direction that soon had it hopping on its hind legs again while monkey-laughing/chattering at the top of its little lungs.

"Why youse-!" Ormi jumped, his wide hand stretching for that disappearing tail again. The monkey squealed, having realized that the warrior captured him by his squirming tail, before turning back and biting with its long canines into the soft flesh exposed by the places where his gauntlets did not cover.

Ormi let go in pain, and the monkey jumped onto his shoulder and crawled down his back. Cheeky Devil twitched his ears when he made it to the warrior's rump and grabbed at the pouch that made the wonderful jingling sound of gil being jostled about.

"Hey!" Ormi reached behind him with his free arm after feeling the heavy pouch come loose, "Give that back!"

He jerked after the fleeing monkey that jumped to the ground with another series of angry chatters before he realized his arm was stuck in the crack of the balcony.

The monkey turned at the wet rotting doorway, the pouch of gil slung over its head and hanging about its neck by the loop that once had connected it to Ormi's belt, the sphere still in his hairy dark-skinned hands.

"If youse are going to take my gil, youse might as well give me the sphere!" Ormi held out his bulky hand out towards the creature, "Come on!"

The monkey seemingly considered this option, before looking at the stuck arm and then hopping up and down, chatter-laughing, before escaping down the hall in a mess of fur and tough feet padding against the stone.

"Get back here!" Ormi swung his feet, his arm still as jammed and stuck as ever. Balling his fist inside the crack, he pulled back as hard as he could, the thing finally giving way before he tumbled back to the drenched ground from the leaky fallen-in roof above.

With a crash and a puff of air, Ormi got back up and wheezed, clutching his chest from all the work he'd been doing that day.

Running now, he went after the devil that stole his sphere and gil.

The unmistakable sound that he had been chasing all day, the shuffling of small feet against puddles and sodden walkways, was heard again nearby and he swung his arms with his attempt to run faster after it.

Finally, the monkey squealed in dismay having been trapped in a corner. It clung to its prizes, turning slowly to see the comically huge sized man closing in with bent fingers outstretched towards his pilfered goods.

"Now give tha'd back tah me, youse gross, thieving little-" The monkey hopped up, teeth bared, while Ormi moved his other arm around, expecting it now. Tiny sharp teeth clamped onto the metal gauntlet of his other arm, while his free arm, the original target, reached and grabbed a firm hold of the gil bag.

Wrenching it over the monkeys head, and leaving it dizzily spinning on its toes from yanking it like that, Ormi snagged the sphere as well.

"Ha!" Ormi, gil pouch in one hand and sphere cupped in the other, beamed victoriously, "How youse like that?"

The monkey stopped, put a little hand to his head, and then regained his senses. It stared chittering, enraged, and shaking its furred little balled up fist at the warrior.

"Well, that's what youse get!" Ormi pointed a stocky finger down at it, "Youse can't expect tah take stuff from people an' expect them tah like youse!"

The monkey spun around on its back legs, rolling his fists in front of his body as it hopped from one leg to the other, chattering more while clicking its teeth hard. It tripped against a loose rock than fell down onto its tail. It looked up at Ormi with large eyes now, its mouth shut.

"Peh!" Ormi put his hands on his hips after safely returning the items to safe and rightful places, "Serves youse right!"

_Ormi! What the hell are you doing, playing hide and seek? _Logos's agitated voice came over the radio, _Do you have the sphere or not?_

"Yeah, yeah, number three down, how many more?" Ormi smashed his finger against the button of the H.E.A.R.T. as he eyed down the little snarling monkey that regained its attitude as well as its composure, "Huh?"

_Two more. _Logos heard the audible groan then snapped _Don't complain! You're the one that ran off for four whole days! Don't expect something good to happen!_

"Yeah, yeah," Ormi nodded, daring the monkey to attack him again. The monkey charged, and he put his wide foot out for its face to crash into, "So's where to next?"

_From the ruins go south. You're going to have to swim. Watch out for fiends will you?_

"Okay," Ormi stretched out his leg, pushing the monkey back as it ran forward into the sole of his shoe, arms outstretched, and its feet sliding against the slick floor over and over again.

_And another thing! Where are the twins, Mara, and Erie? I can't find them anywhere!_

Ormi smiled wider before flicking his ankle to topple the monkey back down onto its tail again, "Yeah, I's wonder…whelp! Can't do much about it. I'm sure there somewhere."

_So this isn't your doing? There's not some ridiculous plan that you are plotting?_

"Who me?" Ormi pointed a finger at his chest, even though Logos couldn't see it, "Of course not! Do youse really think I'm that smart tah think a plan up this far?"

_Well, you did well with that H.E.A.R.T. business. _

"Huh, I did didn't I?" Ormi turned and started to head southward, "So what do youse think?"

_What do I think? I think you have those goons doing something for you. My question is what that is._

"Take a guess." Ormi looked over his shoulder at the determined monkey following him slowly and at a distance.

_Don't start that again. I haven't a clue and I'm not about to guess for all eternity! If you won't tell me your plan than at least tell me when this little 'idea' of yours is going to play out?_

"In a couple of days, depending on the weather." Ormi looked up at the sky as soon as he stepped out of the sandy colored watery ruins, "Looks awful here. What about over by youse?"

_Basic weather. So what does that mean?_

"Take a gue-"

_You say 'take a guess' again and you can just shove that guess right up your-"_

"Okay, I's get it, I's get it." Ormi rolled his eyes, looking over the bleak water, "Where's the next chain of islands?"

_Southeast, should be able to see it now, perhaps, if you squint past that ruin in your way._

"Nah, I see's it." Ormi looked down into the water one last time before walking down the half-ruined and submerged steps to slip into the water. It was cold as death and gray.

_Ah, I hear the idiots have returned._

"Which ones, eh, Logos?" Ormi pushed at the water, slowly making his way through the clamminess. He probably looked awkward as he swam, but no one was around, and it was effective. He swiveled his big head, smiling, as Cheeky Devil stared at him from the edge of the stairs, chattering and clearly disgruntled.

_Twin one and twin two. Not to mention the missing black mage and expert masseuse._

"Tol' ya, they's probably went out tah get something to eat or something like that," Ormi spat out the bland tasting water, "Bleh, no problem."

_Eh? What the hell happened to you four? You all look like you were ran over and rolled around in a chimney! And why do you smell like a motor?_

"Logos?"

_Gah! Logos don't touch that! I got a real bad burn there! _

_From what pray tell? _

_Logos don't hurt brother please, we had a long and hard trip back with him whining the whole time because a defender came after us and he burnt the back of his neck on- Ow! Why'd you hit me?_

_Daji! Taji! You weren't supposed to tell him! _

_Oh!_

_R-Right! Logos, New Boss sir, we just got attacked by a fiend is all! _

_Uhhhh, yeah! _

"Bye Logos." Ormi tugged the ear piece, reaching under his helmet and hood to get to it, and shut the confusion out from his ear. With a smile, and the radio off so Logos wouldn't hear, he paddled and laughed, "Bwa ha ha! Looks like they's got the mission done! Now we's can be back in business!"


	11. Thinking Happy

**A/N: I can't believe I've forgotten to mention that I got a lot of moments from a super cool manga 'Nana'. I'm sorry Nana fans. And I'm sorry anyone who thought I was being totally original O_o. **

**But, it's fan fiction, so there's no obligation to be the uber-original sensation of the universe…I mean, a lot of this is still off of my mind! (Like I threw in boxer shorts in that cake moment, and it was for totally a different reason why the cake was there and, okay, anyone who hasn't read Nana won't get what I'm telling you but just know it's different. I'm done making excuses for not crediting where it should've probably been mentioned.)**

**The reason I added Nana parts though was because since before I posted my first fan fiction, I thought it suited the Goons but I wanted to get better in my writing skills (which happily I did at a surprising rate) Anyhoo, I made it work right?**

**For anyone who cares, Nana is written by Ai Yazawa and is what I think, an awesome read. But for those who don't care about that and just want to finally read a LogosxLeblanc, then read on, cause it's my freaking gift to you. ^_^**

* * *

><p>"Chapter 11: Thinking Happy"<p>

* * *

><p>"Ormi! Wow, you're back faster than I expected," Erie smirked a little through her blackened lips as soon as the warrior stepped through the swinging doorway. He was beaming, and Erie, taking it as a good sign, slowly stood up from her crouch on the shower's floor.<p>

"You're not supposed to be in here, though," Erie jutted her hip out to the side before crossing her arms, "Can't you read the sign out there that says 'Ladies Showers'?"

"Logos said youse would be in here," Ormi stood straighter, coming about a half a head taller than the Fem-Goon, before laxly putting his hands on his hips.

"Yeah…" Erie said dully, her forest green eyes rolling in their sockets, "Some thank you, right?" She gave her shoulders the lightest of shrugs before continuing on, "We saved the Boss the trouble of having to deal with those idiotic so-called 'rebels' and we end up cleaning the chateau up and down. Yeesh. But, even if Logos doesn't act like it, I think he's grateful for it. You could tell he was getting jumpy with the idea that the Boss was going to fight without him to back her up."

"Wasn't just Logos," Ormi heaved a sigh of relief, "I was kinda worried. An' youse guys probably were too."

"Damn straight…" Erie exhaled through her nose, slowly and her plain to see expression from the missing Goon mask dropped, "Yeah, I guess I shouldn't make fun of Logos…We're all missing her bad, even more after we saw her again. She looks so happy with them, don't she? What if she never comes back, Ormi?"

Changing the subject, Ormi lifted up his head and his booming voice asked, "So everything went good?"

"Just great actually," Erie sighed, a frown and sad eyes still weighing down the air as she shifted her weight to her other leg, "Besides the fact that Taji got a good burn on the back of his neck from a rather relentless defender, oh, and I singed a good mask, everything went just great." She practically moaned out her words, her tone cynical.

"So's that's why youse don' have one on…" Ormi nodded, Erie's pale face twitching a bit.

"Yeah, more or less," Erie stooped back down to the floor, looking around a second for the sponge, before picking it up and taking a quick swipe at the tiles she was assigned to clean as 'punishment' for not reporting in and acting on her 'own'.

"Logos didn't find out I's tol' youse guys what to do, did he?"

"Not a word slipped from our mouths" Erie dunked the grubby sponge into the bucket of suds and soapy water before bringing it back up and squeezing it out with her hands. The water sloshed all over the sides and onto the floor messily despite her efforts to get it in the bucket. "Even Taji and Daji kept their traps shut under 'torture.' I don't feel sorry for them. They're cleaning up the all the bathrooms with their toothbrushes. Logos is kinda military-like isn't he? Almost like he was in the army or something…"

Ormi shrugged, "I don' know."

"Okay, I get it. I won't pry," Erie slapped the sponge on the tiles and looked back down at her work, which was more along the lines of saturating the disgusting floor with nastier water and wiping it around. Erie frowned even more deeply down at her piss-poor work before knocking the bucket over for the water to slide towards and down the drain.

She stood up and hooked the bucket over the nozzle of a shower head. She then turned the warm shower handle on so the bucket would fill up with fresher water that maybe would give better results on the cleanliness of the floors.

Erie looked over her shoulder before scrunching up one side of her nose, "What are you looking at?"

Ormi, in the exact same stance as before, staring at her back at the moment, shrugged again, "Nothing."

"Alright…" Erie turned the shower off and went back to the tepid water puddle that was where she had left off cleaning. She looked up and blinked, "Is there…something else you want to tell me, second boss-man?"

Ormi 'thought' for a little bit, his eyes going off to stare to the side, before he shook his head, "Nope."

"Then why are you still in here? What are you even looking at?" Erie dumped out the clean water and it washed the cloudy liquid down toward the drain.

"Nothing."

"Alright," Erie sighed, "Whatever."

"Youse worried?" Ormi said suddenly and it jerked Erie's head around from the drain to him standing by the towel rack.

"Okay," Erie smiled, setting her shoulders down, before looking up past her top eyelids, "Yeah, I am. "

Ormi pushed his wide shoulders back before frowning, "Don' be."

"Why not?" Erie's smile ebbed away and she looked annoyed at Ormi, "Isn't there more than enough reason to be a little worried? Just because we dealt with those Yevon creeps once, doesn't mean that they won't be back for round two. And just because Boss is really tough doesn't mean it'll be okay! Besides, what if your plan doesn't work? What if the boss really is in love with Nooj and won't ever come back? I don't think I could stand that!"

"Whoa, Erie, calm down," Ormi put his palms out, almost going to grab her shoulders but dropping them at the last second, "It'll be jus' fine!" He held up his fingers and stuck his thumb up in the air, "Just have a lil' faith in the mission, will ya?"

"Mission?" Erie straightened her neck, her hip jutting out to the side in that sassy way that the female Goons seem to pick up after a while from one another, "What mission?"

Ormi pulled back his hand back a little to push his arm out hard, his thumb still pointing upwards encouragingly, "The mission called 'Operation Get Back the Boss'!"

Erie looked almost dumbfounded for a moment before, despite her efforts to try and stop herself, she laughed. She held her sides and coughed out huge gulps of air before looking back up with a snap of her neck and Ormi's dense and confused face.

"Geez, idiot…" Erie sighed, letting her arms that had wrapped around her form relax into loosely crossed positions against her torso, "You're just so sure this is all gonna actually happen, aren't ya?"

Ormi lifted both of his brows, staring, before he turned finally, waving over his shoulder lazily, "Well, if youse don' wanna believe me then, youse'll just have'ta see, won't ya? It's almost done anyways."

"Hey! Hey! Don't do that!" Erie followed him to the door before holding it open, her hands wet and soapy against the door. " Now I'm curious. What's almost done? I wasn't aware something was about to happen."

"Hmm," Ormi turned around, his lips lopsided in a thinking grin. "Well, youse knows that I didn't want the boss fighting them Yevon creeps for long, or Logos would never go see her!"

"Yeah…"

"Well," Ormi stuck up a thick digit, his eyes still looking upwards in thought, "Now, there's no reason for him not to right?"

Erie craned her neck forward, her arms crossing as she propped her foot against the swinging door to keep it open, "That's all?"

"So far," Ormi wagged his finger, before letting his hand drop to his side, "If the weather stays clear, Logos won't waste anytime in heading out. He's too wound up to sit still for long…"

"Do you think…"Erie looked from side to side before leaning forward and cupping her mouth, her voice dropping, "Do you really think this is going to fix everything?"

Ormi's giant hand clomped on the top of her head, like she was a puppy, before Erie looked up past his palm with a slight uncomfortable expression. He smiled anyways, goofily, and blasted out in his loud voice, "Of course Erie!"

A smile stretched over her dark colored mouth, "Thanks."

One of Ormi's brows lifted and his expression fell into a lax wide eyed and low mouthed type of face, "For what?"

"This. Keeping me less negative by being positive about everything," Erie turned her face away, her uncovered eyes averting to down the hallway, "I mean…I'm kind of a downer a lot of the times. And, well, I'm just glad someone's doing something now. You're smarter than I thought you were, and for a while there it seemed like you were the only one that cared that the Boss came back again at all. And even though my plan went downhill, you still had enough hope to try again. And you let me in on your plans on top of that. I mean, I really miss the Boss, like, everyone does, but no one knew what to do! So, I don't know how I can thank you enough for even giving us a chance to hope the Boss might be- "

Ormi held up his hands, shaking his palms out, and leaning away a bit, clearly embarrassed, "I get it, I get it!" His hand slapped into the back of his neck where he rubbed it roughly and laughed nervously, "Yeesh, Im's just not used to being praised like that. One good 'thank you' is all I's need, Erie."

Erie blinked, some color raising in her pale face, and becoming more self aware of the fluffy and fuzziness of her earlier rant, "Uh…yeah, sure."

"So!" Ormi huffed, his arms falling down to his sides again, "What's the weather gonna be like?"

"Rainy." Erie's dull voice nearly groaned, her shoulders and eyes falling to the ground.

"Auh…" Ormi leaned down, his shoulders lowering, and Erie could only see the black arrow lining his helmet as he directed his eyes to the floor.

Erie cracked another smile though she tried to catch it in time. Pointless to even try, she decided. It was hard not to laugh at a guy who was that plain goofy all the time. "Don't sulk, big-guy. Your news-girl that you watch all the time says it'll be sunny next week."

"Next week! ?" Ormi's head shot up, "Tha'd long?"

"Why, does it need to be done so soon? I mean, don't get me wrong, I like the Boss to be back here A.S.A.P. but, I didn't know we were running on a clock here." Erie tilted her hips, her head slanting with her motion.

"No," Ormi shook his head before a deep chuckle escaped from the back of his throat, "It's just Logos ain't going to be happy having to wait that long. He's just going to lose it keeping himself here, I jus' knows it."

* * *

><p>Hacky-sack poked Nia's head hard, and she punched him back while shouting an insult. Visually nothing changed. But really-<p>

"How can you guys still act like that!" Leblanc stood up suddenly, having been in her own world before and bursting out her thoughts abruptly in that moment.

"Like…what, Love-Love?" Nia blinked before looking at Hacky, "We act like we always do…"

"I know," Leblanc sunk back into her perch on the rock, guarding a corner of the perimeter of the Youth League around the back. She put a hand to her head, her fingers lightly touching her temple. "It's just, aren't you supposed to be, I don't know love, a bit more lovey-dovey?"

They looked at each other before Nia shuddered, "No way. That would be too creepy."

It came to a surprise that they suddenly decided to date. Sometime after the New Yevon rebellion incident, the night after actually, Nia and Hacky became a couple.

The events leading up to that wonderful conclusion is still unknown to all but the two but Leblanc was the first to hear about it, having discovered it the next morning.

Of course, before she was told directly, Leblanc had noticed that Nia came in late, or rather very early, as the morning dawned over the Headquarters when she rolled into the sleeping pallet that laid next to Leblanc's in their tent. An hour later, Leblanc shook her awake and together they went to brush their teeth and perform other morning routines in the tent that served as a cover for the female's bathroom.

At that point so many questions were brimming in Leblanc's blond head. For one, she had heard Nia and Hacky conversing silently the night before when he, as usual, gave the gentlemanly gesture of walking one or both of them back to their respective tent.

"_Shh! Hacky you're going to wake Love-Love up!"_

"_I won't. We both know she sleeps like a rock." _

_Leblanc twisted her mouth sideways at the comment before she screwed her eyes tight to give the impression of sleeping when Nia pushed the tent opening aside._

_Hacky gave a broken up sounding chuckle, "Figures too. That Ormi guy when he was here snored loud enough to give all the High Summoners of old a rude awakening."_

"_Don't make fun of Love-Love's friends." Nia chided, "But he did make quite a racket, didn't he?"_

"_I wasn't making fun. It was the truth!" Hacky, strangely, followed Nia in and crouched behind her as she bent down to her leather pack that sat at the foot of her pallet. She shuffled through its contents, and on most nights Leblanc would've simply shrugged it off as she was looking for clean clothes to sleep in or a hairbrush, but with suspicion, she thought differently. _

"_So, what do you say, Nia-dear?" Hacky still had humor in his voice, but they were whispering so softly that Leblanc immediately knew something was up._

"_I'm thinking about it, Rail Post give me a second," Nia whispered back a tad louder, making Leblanc sleepily roll over to hide her smile, after hearing the name and the tone Nia had said it in. Rail Post, she'd have to remember the name so she could call Logos that when he was being difficult. That of course being if there ever came a time again when he'd talk to her after leaving him hanging like she did._

"_Nia…" Hacky's voice was suddenly breathy, "I don't want to freak you out…"_

_Nia looked over her shoulder at him in the darkness before turning back to her pack, "You're not, shut up! You're going to wake up Love-Love."_

"_What are you looking for?"_

"_A charm." Nia answered flatly._

"_A charm for what?" _

_Leblanc, their attention preoccupied at the moment, ventured a peek over her blanket shrouded shoulder. Hacky was leaning close behind Nia, his nose nearly touching the side of her face from behind. Nia was still digging through her bag._

"_A charm for…you know," Nia clenched something in the bottom of the bag and brought it up in her fist. "To prevent babies from being made."_

_Hacky leaned a comfortable distance away from Nia now, looking straight into her face, "Oh, so that means-" _

"_I thought about what you said, Hack," Nia's voice lowered and Leblanc found herself blushing under the blankets, just knowing she was hearing something for their ears only. In vain, she tried to politely turn her attention away. But how could she when there was nothing going on but their whispering? _

"_I'm willing to try." _

_There was a slow sigh, from Hacky, before Leblanc looked cautiously over her shoulder at them again._

_They were crouched by Nia's pallet still, facing each other now, and they were staring into each others faces. Leblanc felt even warmer. Hacky was smiling, she could tell from the moonlight peeking in through the tent flap, and Nia was holding her fist up between them. _

_Nia opened her hand bit by bit, unveiling the object in her hand, and Hacky took up the cord from her palm. It was dark red, and dangling from it was a stone circle with a rune decorating its smooth surface. Hacky tied it carefully around Nia's wrist before grabbing her hand in his and standing up, dragging Nia along._

_Leblanc screwed her eyes shut tighter until she heard their footsteps disappear. _

Nia looked at Leblanc out of the corner of her sleepy eye, knowing Leblanc was staring at her.

"What?" Nia jabbed the foamy toothbrush into her mouth and began the quick rigorous scrubbing she did every morning. Leblanc continued to stare at her, a slight smile spreading over her lips slyly.

Leblanc was just dying to know. It took all her willpower not to wake Nia up earlier and shout out her question where the whole Headquarters could hear it. Leblanc was well aware that Hacky didn't have a tent mate, so the question of where they went was already answered, but still, Leblanc was curious for more… juicy bits.

She knew _something _had happened between them. And if the quiet discussion of the dark red cord wasn't enough, Nia looked a little brighter that morning even when she fell face first into the pillow, exhausted.

No, Leblanc couldn't possibly resist anymore…

"What happened between you and Hacky last night?…" Leblanc leaned forward, her hand covering the outer side of her mouth, and she lowered her voice to where only they could hear. "I saw you go with him-"

"No'fing mush, R'ove-R'ove, an' any'hays, hoau han I ell ou, I'm brufing my-"

Leblanc leaned back, wiping her damp hands dry on a towel, as she watched the tooth brush move up and down with Nia's incoherent words, "I don't understand you, love."

Nia held up a finger in the 'wait' gesture before gargling water from the faucet and swishing it in her mouth before spitting it up with a loud 'ptoo' sound. Nia brought her head back up with a snap before swiping the towel from Leblanc's hands, "I said, 'nothing much, Love-Love and anyways how can I tell you, I'm brushing my teeth.' Geez!"

Leblanc's mouth hung open a little accidentally, having been surprised when she expected some form of news from Nia instead of the answer she got. Leblanc stood bewildered as Nia swung the towel over her small shoulder and strolled out, one hand in her short pant's pocket. Leblanc blinked herself free from the little spell she had put herself in, before turning around to follow Nia out the tent.

* * *

><p>Nia was in the process of pulling on her leather over-vest in their own tent when Leblanc heard her voice break the silence suddenly, "I suppose Hacky and I are what you call an 'item' or whatever…"<p>

Leblanc, mid-through on pulling clean and non-sweat stained leather armor on, stopped and looked up at her. She smiled, and milking it for all it was worth, asked with twinkling eyes, "Could you repeat that, love?"

"I mean-" Nia stuck her hand out to the side, "It's not like anything's really changed, alright? Just wanted you to know…'cuz you're my friend."

Leblanc detected the hint of pink in her face before she moved on.

"If things don't work out, Hacky and I will go right back to the way we were." Nia stuck up her chin, her immense pride stifling the growing tint in her round cheeks.

"Oh good for you love!" Leblanc, excited, gripped Nia's hands and pulled it up between them, "The power of love conquers all!"

Nia tilted her head, her mouth hanging open as usual when Leblanc showed her enthusiastic side of love. A brow raised and Nia shook her head, "Love-Love, It's nothing like that…"

"Hmm, what do you mean love?" Leblanc, still overflowing with her vivid ideals of love, which are overpowering to say the least, leaned back and released Nia's hands. "I'm just saying that I'm happy for you!"

"About what?" Nia turned her head to the side, "This isn't a good thing…"

Leblanc stiffened, sensing a sudden drop in the atmosphere, "What do you mean, love?"

"I don't want to ruin anything," Nia frowned, her eyes turned to the side and avoiding contact with Leblanc, "This is really un-cool of me. Hacky probably doesn't think much of it right now, but if things ever change between us-"

"Change can be good though!" Leblanc encouragingly put her hands on the younger woman's shoulders, "Don't give up hope, love. I'm actually surprised this hasn't happened sooner!"

Nia sighed, "Of course you'd say something like that, Love-Love." She looked up, a weak smile drifting over her lips, "You're just brimming with hope in that department, right?"

"If I wasn't then, I wouldn't be here making it come true," Leblanc nodded then gave a firm pat to Nia's shoulder, "Love isn't a kind of thing for the faint of heart!"

Nia tilted her head, amused, "What if we come to regret this?"

"Does Hacky make you happy?" Leblanc asked seriously.

"Yes, but-"

"No buts!" Leblanc stuck up a forefinger toward the sky and shook it, "When it comes to love, you'll never regret! The moments of happiness in love will always be precious to you, and you'll never regret that! Even if things don't work out, this will still be a time of happiness, love!"

"But, what if we start hating each other? What if we can't just be friends anymore? I don't want to lose Hacky because of some quick decision we made!" Nia crossed her arms under her breasts and gave Leblanc a long sideways glance, "You can't honestly tell me that it's not a possibility, Love-Love."

"The more you worry about it the more likely it is to come true just from you making it so," Leblanc swished her hips a little as she sashayed her way to Nia's side in an annoying fashion, mocking the way Nia handled most serious situations, "Hacky has the right idea from not over thinking it. It happened because you wanted it to then, so don't wear it down by putting too much thought on it. As the saying goes love, just go with the flow! Love doesn't require thinking!"

Nia's face cracked, a smile huge on her face, "You are something else…."

* * *

><p>Even with Nia's words then, and the fact that she obviously cared, Leblanc watched Nia and Hacky act the <em>exact <em>same as usual. Not necessarily a bad thing she supposed, but they were lovers now right? Aren't lovers supposed to act a little bit more-

Dreamy perhaps? Or attached? Maybe even a little bit more touchy with each other? Nicer even! But no, childhood friend and overgrown boy it still was.

"Look Love-Love," Nia, finishing up a laugh at Hacky's expense, turned her attentions back to the slightly pouty Leblanc, "Not everyone loves so passionately like you do. Find one hundred couples and you'll find one hundred ways to love."

"Right," Hacky, finally showing some sign of affection for Nia, laid his forearm comfortably on her shoulders and around the back of her neck. Nia allowed herself time enough to smile before moving away.

Hacky shrugged before jamming his thin hands into the pockets of his light brown baggy pants, "I got to admit, Leblanc, if I didn't have Nia I'd envy the guy that would fall in love with you."

The words was enough to snap Leblanc's neck upright, "What do you mean, love?"

"You love so strongly," Hacky smiled, watching Nia climb over the hill, out of earshot and start to pace the side of the cliff on look out, "It's beautiful in its own right."

Leblanc found herself blushing suddenly and a fluttering rose in her chest.

"And though you kind of act like it when you go on your lovely rants, you're not flighty. You're strong, but still have womanly features. There is a lot to admire about you, and though some of your qualities can be enough to earn dislike-" Hacky raised up his hands defensively, and apologetically, when Leblanc shot him a glare, "-just saying and being completely honest… But really, Leblanc, you're a good friend even despite those qualities. In fact, some can say those traits are what make you a good friend."

"What traits are those exactly?" Leblanc puckered her lips a bit, her brows furrowing and making a crease between her eyes.

Hacky laughed lightly, rubbing the side of his lanky neck, "Well, you can be overbearing. You have a hell of a pride too, but who can blame you-" Hacky shrugged and lowered his arm, "-I'd have a pride too if I was like you. You're pretty, and man do you know it, so your kind of a showoff too. But, who can blame you for having confidence? At least you aren't like those people whose heads are shoved so far up their backside that they don't have time to worry about little people. You're very caring, almost mother-like. I like what I saw when you were with those Goons of yours."

Leblanc sighed, turning her head slightly in her palm from her spot sitting on the rock. What she'd give to have Nooj tell her all this.

"I love Nia." Hacky said suddenly, "I wonder if I've always. She's confident, strong, beautiful, like you. She's also extremely cute with how short she is. So don't think just because she's like you in many ways that I have an interest in you-" Hacky laughed nervously again, "-Not saying you aren't lovely and all. I mean, like I said, I just envy the guy that falls in love with you. But, like there is no one else just like you, there's no one else like Nia."

Leblanc watched Hacky's lean face open up. Love could make someone so beautiful…

"What I'm saying is Nia was right. There's so many kinds of love in this world." Hacky sighed, his eyes trailing back up the cliff again to Nia standing as tall as she could in her stunted height.

"You could say all this to Nia, love, I'm sure she'd love it," Leblanc sat straighter, her hands on her knees as she stretched out her back.

"No," Hacky turned his blue eyes back to Leblanc, "I know my Nia, she'd hit me for being over sentimental."

_My _Nia. It sounded so sweet, even in its simplicity. Leblanc sighed, oh what she'd give for Nooj to think of her as his.

* * *

><p>"Agh, why do you do this to me?" Logos held up the rim of the glass to his lips, his eyes a blank stare to the side.<p>

"Who youse talking too? Youse are kinda creepy when youse talks to yours'self Logos," Ormi moved his eyes from the screen on Logos's wall to the actual owner of the room they were sitting in.

"I wasn't talking to myself, Ormi," Logos's low voice corrected with haughty condescension just dripping off the end of his every word, "I was talking to Shelinda."

"Youse knows she can't hear youse." Ormi made a point to lean away from Logos who sat, once again, on the edge of his bed with a drink, "Youse are getting even creepier without the Boss. Hurry up and go get her will ya?"

"In good time! I hate rain and I'd much rather avoid having to trudge through it if you don't mind. Besides, Ormi, I don't want to speak to the Boss looking like a soaking wet dog, is that alright with you?" Logos took another sip, the warmth of the booze snipping away the chill that the rare rain, that apparently hasn't yet had its way with Spira, brought to the already cold basement. The strange storm from earlier originating from the sea apparently was going to come in sessions. Even in the lower levels of the château, Logos and Ormi could hear the heavy erratic beating of the fat drops against the roof.

"Youse means youse won't even go through it to see the Boss?" Ormi crossed his arms, leaning into the bench back, as he watched the little wave of emotion that changed Logos's expression.

"Come now Ormi, that's not what I mean." Logos swallowed hard on the liquid from his glass, that same stuff, whatever it was, that tasted strangely sweet and a bit like rotted apples. He was drinking it sparingly this time, lest something like the 'secret mission' repeat itself again. He lifted a slick brow when the warrior insisted on staring at him instead of redirecting his attention back to the frizzy ginger-haired woman that was stuttering about the 'hurricane-force' winds and such, all the while getting pelted with the same onslaught of rain that Guadosalam was being dealt.

It seemed the whole world was being drenched thoroughly. It wouldn't be a surprise if the hover crafts and their paths became out of order with such a miserable turn of the weather. This wave of rain was so much more stronger than the first, almost to the point to be called a scary unnatural phenomenon.

A monstrous gust of wind struck the side of the château and made a weird whoosh similar to a moan, audibly displacing the rain's path as well, as it passed. Then, there was a clap of thunder that shook the chateau to its foundations.

"Whoa," Ormi looked up, feeling the very earth tremble all around him and the basement. Down the hall, Logos and his impeccable hearing heard many different reactions, ranging from awe like Ormi, to surprise, to even fear, from the Goons that were sleeping or getting ready to in their rooms. Not even he was mean enough to make the two goons continue to stand guard outside so Daji, who got reassigned to the front door instead of Leblanc's unused room, and Taji, were exclaiming in Al Bhed shrilly from their beds.

"This is what they's call forces of nature, huh?" Ormi forced himself back against the bench's cushions again.

Logos's thin eyes scanned the ceiling, as if picturing the rain outside, before looking at the flickering screen, "It's losing signal."

"Ah well," Ormi shrugged, intertwining his fingers over his wide stomach.

Another sip, Logos gave a long exhale through his nose, before adding his drawling voice among the rapping of the pouring roar, "I've been thinking…"

"Youse do's tha'd a lot," Ormi nodded, "So?"

Logos set his glass down on the floor at the foot of his bed before he spoke again.

"Should I even bother with trying to win the Boss? I'd probably lose, at least in competition with the Meyvn." Logos bent his arms behind his head before falling back, plopping heavily and haphazardly against his pillow and comforter.

"Who told youse that?" Ormi lazily scratched the side of his face as he watched the screen come back to clear life before fading into a fuzzy image of Shelinda holding onto her headdress against the ocean side winds.

For a moment, Logos thought of telling Ormi about the encounter with the punk from the Youth League before shrugging his thin bent arms, "No one. I can think on my own and I've been contemplating why in the world I'm doing this…"

The signal finally blinked out with a _**sprnk! **_so Ormi gave Logos his undivided attention, though he still had a bored expression, "Doing whut?"

"Trying so hard for one woman," Logos answered as he shifted, taking one hand from behind his head, and lifting it upright and counting off on his long lean digits as he said, "There has been plenty of women in my life. Remember when we were stationed on Kilika when we were trapped serving those Yevon cretins? I dated two women then. And I wasn't a bit remorseful about them finding out that our relationships overlapped a little. There was that woman in our unit before Operation Mi'ihen, the one that was two years younger than us. I didn't cry when a stray bullet got her in the throat. Remember?"

"Yeah, youse was a real jerk," Ormi let a smile slowly creep across his face, "Back then, youse was a real big jerk."

"I was _numb,_" Logos rolled his eyes, before staring up at the bronze colored syndicate logo hammered against the ceiling, "There's a difference. I knew I was supposed to feel horrible, devastated even, but I just couldn't find enough feeling in me for that. I'm well aware that's not something you called _love, _but I don't think I ever really loved during that time."

"Oh, geez, youse think?" Ormi bobbed his head before letting it heavily fall off to the side, "Whut's your point?"

"I'm getting there," Logos hissed, raising his head a little to glare, before dropping it dead-weight into the pillow. "Usually when woman ignore my advances, I move on, and I usually don't restrain from trying to approach them if they interest me. But, as you know, the Boss is different. Even then though, there was times when I thought I could love some of the girls I was with. I mean, the ones I dated to try and muffle out my feelings for the Boss anyways. There was times when I felt content and I thought I could be in love with a few of them."

"Whut youse getting at?" Ormi mumbled impatiently.

"I wasn't in love with them even when I thought I was. Or, I became un-in love with them when they became annoying or agitated with me." Logos frowned, "That can't be love, I figure. But how can I know? Maybe love is that fragile; to be broken so easily and remolded for another in a heartbeat. It would be depressing to know that's all the love in the world can be, but it's a possibility. But, I'm not sure. Maybe love is so magnificent and so hard to claim for yourself that I have yet to even experience it. So, in other words, my question to myself is what the Hell is love anyways?"

"Do youse know?"

"I think the answer isn't so simple to be answered by me alone," Logos sighed, one arm behind his head still while the other laid across his thinly muscled stomach, "It's complicated."

The screen buzzed to life and Ormi peeked back at it, before Logos's slow voice brought his attention around again.

"What can I do when she's in love with Nooj?" Logos's slanted eyes stared unblinkingly at one bronze heart on the ceiling, "If she's in love with him, then no amount of action from me will change anything."

"Thad's jus' being a coward," Ormi's voice was harsh, "Don' tell me we's are back at the beginning, Logos."

Logos narrowed his eyes and looked at Ormi over his chest, "No-" He thought a little about it before saying, "I've made some progress, I think."

"Yeah?"

Logos's face twitched, "But, she is in love with the Meyvn."

"Maybe not…" Ormi closed his eyes, ignoring another flash of a glare from the gunner on the bed, and crossed his beefy arms, "Maybe she was jus' like youse."

Logos relaxed his expression, honestly curious, "How so?"

"Well, it's not like she knows the Meyvn tha'd well. Maybe she jus' think she's in love with them cuz she likes the way he looks or something. Hey, maybe even she just wants him-!" Ormi jerked forward, the ashtray flying from Logos's nightstand toward his head. The ashtray cracked into the wall that the bench he was sitting on was attached to with a clattering crash and gray and white ashes flew into the air upon contact. After the tray clunked against the floor, he snapped his head up, his expression angry and his voice loud, "Hey!"

"Don't you dare talk like the bastards that don't know her!" Logos's eyes were narrowed again, only more tightly, and a corner of his lip was raised in a snarl, "You know the Boss better than that! She's not like that and she's not that stupid!"

Ormi defensively raised his shoulders up, his hands clenching into fists, "It's not stupid to be a little confused alright? Besides, youse said it yourself, youse thought youse was in love with a couple of them dolls but youse jus' wanted them. Maybe the Boss is doing the same thing. Who knows? She hasn't been with anyone as far as I seen except trying tah be with Nooj."

"I still don't think that she's so stupid, Ormi." Logos growled while sitting upright now from the grab and throw of the tray off the nightstand, the first thing his hand grasped.

"She's not stupid." Ormi's thick brows were pushed down towards his eyes, "An' I never said she was! Youse the one that keeps saying it. Look, I's don think any of them dames you were with ever was stupid. Not really, lonely probably, an' mixed up, but I don't think they were stupid. But, the Boss ain't like them, I know that. I'm jus' sayin'- and throw something at me again and I'm grabbing youse by your ankle and tossing youse out that door- tha'd maybe the Boss doesn't really know's what she really wants!"

Logos considered it. His arm still itched to chuck something else. The books sitting on the nightstand weren't that important to him and heavy enough. But when Ormi threatened, he actually meant it most of the time, unlike himself who made as many empty threats as he did promises that he fulfilled. It wouldn't be pleasant kissing basement stones this late at night.

With Logos's continued silence, Ormi ranted on, "An' anyways, if youse wait too long jus' thinking, the Boss and Nooj might really get together! The Boss will jus' get attached, even if she really doesn't love him like that, and then we'd never get to see her again! Hey, maybe it's already happened! Youse got to go steal her back then."

"Why should I?" Logos grumbled, "What if I'm not actually in love with the Boss like all the others? Besides, wouldn't it be better if the Meyvn and her were together? She'd have the man she's always wanted and I will be free of this torment."

"But knowing the Boss," Ormi's tone suddenly softened, "An' knowing Nooj, she's jus' going to get hurt. Doesn't that bother youse?"

Logos's eyes widened as he stared at his long time friend.

"It bothers me," Ormi's voice was low, almost hurting, and he lowered his shoulders, his brows furrowing sadly, "Youse knows tha'd Nooj don' care if he dies. If he dies, it'll hurt the Boss bad if she's waiting for him. I care too's much about her to wan' tha'd for her. What do youse want for her?"

Logos's mouth slowly opened, then half-closed, opened again, a sort of cracking noise came out of his mouth but no words. Amazing, for once Ormi managed to stupefy him. In all this, he had forgotten to think about the Deathseeker's indifference of death. And of course, he forgot to think of how the Boss would take that. She'd be so grieved that they probably would never get her back, not in the full sense.

Or even worse, if he himself was more than ready to die for her, then would she just die for Nooj?

"Oh," Ormi bent back, folding his arms over his chest, "Youse get's it. Nooj ain't no good for the Boss."

A crash of thunder nearly made Logos jump out of his skin and he reminded himself that a storm to go down in history was raging outside.

The screen flickered again, before going off almost instantly after, but it was enough to seize Ormi's short attention span towards it for a second.

Logos sighed, bringing his legs towards him to sit in a fashion like the tribal people do, crossing them in front of his body. Ormi was staring at the black screen, seemingly trying to decided if he just imagined it coming back on or if it might try it again.

"I'm surprised."

"Hmm?" Ormi turned his head back to Logos so fast that his soft cheeks jiggled a little.

"You are in no position whatsoever to criticize the Meyvn Nooj." Logos smirked, his eyes closing as he rested his arms across his knees, "We aren't half the man that he is, in many ways. He's far braver than us both, stronger, and can do an extensively better job protecting the Boss then we can. But, you're still so loyal to her."

"I'm loyal to her, yeah," Ormi puffed out his chest. He still was standing in the middle of the room from where he stood up to yell at Logos, "But, that's not why I'm doing this. I already tol' youse tha'd I love her."

Logos raised his head up, "Right, the platonic sister kind of love." He lowered his chin then, looking at the warrior through the top of his eyelids, "I also remember you claiming you would do something if I did not. I'm starting to wonder how far platonic goes in your mind."

"I still will take her if youse don't," Ormi put his hands on his hips defiantly, "Don' think for a second tha'd I won't. An' I love her like a sister, an' she loves me back so I don't have to worry. It's with youse tha'd gets her confused."

Logos opened one eye wider, the brow of the other curling a bit on the inner edge, "She loves you back?"

"Sure," Ormi smiled.

Logos chuckled, amused by the notion of Leblanc loving Ormi alongside Nooj, "How do you know that?"

"I make her happy, and she makes me happy," Ormi shrugged, "So we love each other."

Logos shook his head before starting, "That's not exactly-"

Ormi interrupted him quickly, "Hey! Hey! Youse said youse didn't know what love was earlier! So, youse can't tell me it's not!" Logos closed his mouth and Ormi triumphantly huffed, "Right! It's not like what youse an' her might have if youse ever get to it, but it's love, ya know? At least, that's what I think."

"…"

Ormi heaved a huge sigh, "Huuu~" before his face lopsidedly looked up, thinking hard, "Auh, I'd don' think so much like youse do. I's thinks tha'd youse love someone when youse wan' tah make them happy. I mean, when youse hate someone, youse don't want to make them happy. An' if youse don' know someone, youse don' really care if they're happy or not. But if youse loves someone, youse want them to be happy no matter what, right?

I love the Boss a lot, but I's thinks youse love her differently. Like, auh- more than me. She's always gonna love Nooj, but I think if she thought about it, she might love youse more than anyone."

"I want the Boss to be happy," Logos stared down at the rug over the wooden planks on is floor, "More than anything. But, what if I can't?"

"Then, I'll jus' do it." Ormi nodded, confident and so sure of himself.

"If you taking her yourself will solve everything, since that keeps coming up, why don't you just do it?" Logos tilted his head, listening for a moment to the pounding of the rain above, "Well?"

"Cuz, I jus' know youse want to do something yourself." Ormi explained, "I know youse can do it. An' I wan' the boss to be more than jus' happy. I want her to be at her happiest. I want her to be so happy that she can't possibly fit any more happy in her heart. Thad's whut I want."

Logos sighed from the corner of his mouth, his body going completely lax, "What do you think I should say to her when I see her again? What do I actually have to give her besides the mere fact that I have the desire to live for her instead of the wish to die? I'm not even sure if I'll make her the happiest. Maybe that's still Nooj."

"I's think I've helped youse enough," Ormi held up his hands, waving them, "Don't youse?"

The corners of his lips raised, "Oh, no, I agree. But by your definition, I could be in love with a number of people. How do I know that I'm so in love with the Boss?"

Logos's eyes were pointed in his direction but Ormi could tell that they were still so far away inwardly. The warrior beamed.

"Don' worry. I knows youse love the Boss. I can feel it. Lots and lots of it. An' I don' need to think about _that._"

* * *

><p>"Leblanc," Nooj's cool smooth voice entered her ears so easily.<p>

It made her heart jump, but not from surprise, but from the fact that he had said her name again in that wonderful voice of his.

Not many people called her by her name. And those that did, a number of low ranking Goons, a few youth Leaguers now, those stupid Dullwings, all those that did never made her heartbeat speed up like Nooj's voice.

It made her so happy and pleased just to hear it.

"Yes, love?" Leblanc stood straight. She knew that he had to talk to her about something important or else he probably, being as busy as he always is, wouldn't of called her into the main tent. The storm of the century raged outside, and all of the Headquarters pretty much hunkered down to bear against the rain and lightning, so they were alone.

"How have you been?"

This came as a surprise. Leblanc blinked, "What?"

"How have you been?" Nooj repeated, "I should've asked before this but I suppose it's better now then never."

She had expected something business like, something important, but this was just a start to an idle conversation! She couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"F-fine, love," Leblanc quickly composed herself, setting her shoulders back to hold her chin up high, "I'm glad to be of help here."

How could a casual conversation bring her this much joy? It was only with Nooj that such a short conversation could bring her all this fluttering in her stomach and chest, the feeling of bliss through her veins…

"That's good to hear," Nooj smiled, that rare and godly smile, and chuckled low and deep, "For a moment I was beginning to think that you were missing home."

"Home?" Leblanc stiffened. She must be thinking slow, she realized, because she immediately afterwards thought of the Château Leblanc. Of course that is what he meant, what else besides here would've been home for her?

"In Guadosalam, with your other-"

"Goons," She interrupted that wonderful voice, finding that this wasn't a subject she wanted to talk about for long, "They're something else aren't they, love? I don't miss them so strongly anymore. I'm adjusting. And they don't seem so heartbroken. It's going well."

Why did she feel like she was lying? She thought, then reached the conclusion that 'of course' there was still the apology she owed Logos. And the Goons still were missing her hard, she knew, but they would adjust in time.

Nooj was watching her. Staring straight into her and looking for any sign that she was lying. Leblanc squirmed. His piercing gaze was one of the things she loved about him, it was the only gaze in all of Spira that could make her feel uncomfortable and off balance it seemed, so she loved it. She felt like she couldn't demand anything, and felt all that more like a woman than a 'Boss'.

At the moment however, it felt like a tingling chill starting at the top of her head down to the soles of her feet. Leblanc leaned on one hip to hide the weakness in her knees.

"Yes Love?" Leblanc asked, her voice sounding really loud in the emptiness of the main tent.

He was staring at her so intensely. It was still so professional. The high she felt dropped a little. He was studying her for any signs of an opening into her head, what was really going on in her mind, for whatever reason he was curious about it and wanted to know. Well, Leblanc smiled again, if he was curious about her than at least he was thinking about her. That's more than enough happiness for her.

"Are you happy here?" He asked with his confident and level tone.

"Of course," She smiled wider, one side of her lips sliding over and rising higher than the other in her signature face that many people remember her having. Her hips tilted, her chin high, a hand habitually at her hip, and with her smirk, she was every bit of herself that she used to be over a month and half ago.

Only this version of Leblanc was leather wrapped, with dyed hot pink lining on her leather armor, and she was fan-less. A short sword strapped to her hip that she never used because she was using more and more of her spells replaced her fan. Tough calf hugging boots substituted her high heels and her skin had become sun-kissed. Time spent on makeup when she could be sleeping was sacrificed for actual much needed rest. Her hair was hanging un-gelled against the sides of her face and neck now, longer than one would suspect at first, and her fingers were growing tough from the finger less gloves the Youth League provided for her.

"You've indeed changed a lot," Nooj commented, like he was finishing a inward thought, while taking in her features and remembering vividly the woman that came to him over month ago, all pink clad, high-heeled, and just as proud. She could play the parts of sophisticated woman and leather bound ruffian both very well.

Leblanc gave a soft shrugged of her shoulders, "I suppose love."

The storm escalated outside, but neither really paid any attention to it. Nooj was just staring at Leblanc, and Leblanc was staring at his staring and trying not to squirm.

She just loved his gaze….

Not a lot has changed between them. She had changed a lot it seemed, but still she was the exact same essentially, and their situation still stank of professionalism. She came her to take matters into her own hands right? Why couldn't she just do it! Now was the perfect opportunity! They were alone, and he was talking to her casually enough but-

The way he kept staring was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. It wasn't dreamy eyes that would give her any more form of hope. But, in the end, Leblanc was an optimist.

There was really no harm in just asking though, was there?

"Nooj, do you- do you love anyone?"

"Excuse me?" His eyes widened. Obviously the question took him caught him off guard, or at least brought him back from whatever world he went into.

"Do you-" Leblanc gulped. Is this the way Logos felt when he confessed his love for her? Gah! Wait why was she thinking about _him _right now! It's Nooj that's important! She couldn't love Logos like that, she had firmly decided, so her gunner needed to just get out of her head right now!

_Her _gunner…if you think about it, it wasn't too different from Hacky saying _his _Nia…wait…Not again!

"Leblanc, are you alright?" Nooj was about to stand up from his chair, his voice a tad softer than usual, and he tilted his head if ever so slightly, "You were about to ask something and you suddenly stopped."

She gritted her teeth and held her fingers so hard into her palms that she felt her nails dig into her hand through the leather of her fingerless gloves. She braced herself, before she blurted out louder than she intended-

"Do you love anyone!" Leblanc, her face fully flushed, slapped her hands straight against her sides, her nerves completely overloading in the moment. This was it, wasn't it? It has to be done! Leblanc told herself with confidence, but then she looked into his eyes….

"Love?" Nooj let a smirk grow over his firm lips, "I'm not what you would call popular in the realm of relationships, Leblanc."

_What! Impossible! B-besides, I love you! _…Right?

"Mevyn Nooj," Elma appeared through the tent flap, black clumps of her hair sticking to the sides of her face and against her red bandana, "There is a call coming in for you from the Commsphere that Lady Yuna left."

"Oh," Nooj stood up, straightened his posture to his regular stance before bowing his head lightly to Leblanc, "I'm sorry, it seems I have something to tend to."

"Go on," Leblanc lidded her eyes, her composure hers once more, and waved her hand gently through the air, "I won't stop you, love."

After the two left, the sounds from the storm of the century raging outside covering their footsteps, Leblanc whirled around on her heels, her face beet red, and slammed her knuckles into either sides of her temples over and over again chanting-

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

* * *

><p>"Yes? Oh, it's you." Nooj gladly accepted the towel that Lucil offered him once he ducked into the tent by the entrance, the one that now housed the guards in ill weather and the repaired Commsphere that Yuna gave them to connect Spira in a whole new way, and hopefully to promote peace. It had proven to be useful, especially when it came to relaying messages to Bevelle and the Praetor Baralai. Specifically in the times when the general Yevonite population was at a disagreement with his attempts at peaceful negotiations with all.<p>

"Yes, it's me," Logos drawled, his voice thick with sarcasm, "Who else would be calling you from the Leblanc Syndicate? You already have our Boss."

"No need to be spiteful," Nooj chuckled a little in his throat. Honestly, the gunner that was formerly under Leblanc's employment, and now the leader of her syndicate, was interesting to say the least. The gunner was often more cold than warm, but despite his icy personality, he obviously cared for Leblanc quite a bit. And it was only growing more obvious what he felt for her from the way he reacted the last rainy day he stuck his narrow head around the Youth League. They way his voice changed, and his expression drastically altered from his scowling and pinched eyed one to actually flustered, when he mentioned Leblanc to him the last visit, told all about his feelings and care for Leblanc. Did Leblanc even realize how lucky she was to have companions that consider her so much?

"My apologies." Logos answered, the fluctuating of the waves slightly distorting his voice for a moment. Even with that though, Nooj could hear the 'I don't really care to talk to you so let's make this fast' behind his half-hearted apology.

Logo had an interesting way of talking, often dragging out and slipping over syllables. His words, at least towards him the Meyvn, were monotone, or really curt and short but when it came to Leblanc it was lowered, and he spoke even slower than before. It was defiantly noteworthy, if not amusing.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" Nooj stared down at the Commsphere's blue surface, as if it would produce an answer faster than if he did not. Fortunately, Logos answered almost immediately.

"I have some spheres I think would be of interest to you." Logos's radio-static voice came through levelly, "I'm personally coming myself so that the Goons won't overstay their welcome like last time."

"They weren't trouble to us. In fact, quite the opposite, they were of great use." Nooj figured he should say, before dropping the pitch of his voice, "How many spheres and what would you say is a rough estimation of the price of them?"

"Two," Logos answered, "And I'd say the current price we have arranged for spheres will suffice. One in particular will probably come to some length of use. I may raise the price of that one by a hundred gil or so, but not much more. "

"Then we have a deal," Nooj listened for a moment to the storm raging madly in the world outside, "It doesn't seem that you will be coming our way soon though."

"I'll leave tomorrow. Rain or not." Logos tersely replied before a loud beep, and than nothing.

Nooj gave his head a shake with the towel that Lucil gave him and gave a light shrug of his non-mechanical shoulder. It was a pain having mechanized parts, and even more of a pain when it rained. He'd have to remember to ask for another towel of course, because if he did not then there was a possibility that some damage would come to his prosthetic limbs. And that would mean repairs, and that was more pain that he would rather not deal with.

All was silent except the slight buzz of the Commsphere awaiting any oncoming signals, and the rain pattering outside the canvas of the tent.

A smirk slowly raised on the corner of Nooj's lips. He couldn't get rid of the feeling that it wasn't the prospect of selling two mere spheres that would get the gunner to tread through the nastiest storm Spira had even been blasted with. No, it was probably something more useful than gil…

* * *

><p>"I messed that up…" Leblanc shook her golden spikes with the towel. So much water got on her just from the short walk from the main tent to Lyra's tent, upon the latter's gesturing. Braco and Dimitri played slap Jack in the corner with a deck of cards that one of her visiting Goons from earlier in the week had left for them as a gift. It was close in there, but comfortable as Lyra scooted right up against her nephews.<p>

"What do you mean?" Lyra was watching one of Vakida's movies again, pushing her elbow into Dimitri's head and propping her face in her hand.

"Auntie Lyra!" Dimitri tried to shove it off but to no avail, "You're messing up my game!"

"Shut up twerp," Lyra pushed back a little with her elbow before setting it up against her and the boys bags that held their clothes of other belongings stacked in the adjacent corner. "Are you going to answer me, Love-Love?"

"Sure, why not?" Leblanc gave another violent shake to her head before letting the towel fall around her shoulders. The tent was illuminated with the glow of the sphere-screen displaying the images. Good thing Lyra had a more mobile one instead of one connected to lines. There was several occasions where Logos couldn't get anything on their screens back home during nasty weather.

Logos…why had he entered her thoughts at such an inconvenient time! It was a crucial moment and he, indirectly, ruined it. What made it worse is that Leblanc thought bitterly about the fact that he probably would've found some enjoyment out of knowing that.

"I was going to tell Nooj how I felt-" Leblanc sighed, as melancholy as the rain outside. She remembered how she felt in the Thunder Plains, with Logos and Ormi sleeping on either side of her, and realized despairingly that she felt like that now.

"And?" Lyra crossed her legs in a sassy fashion before flipping violet tinted black hair over her shoulder.

"I-"

"How do you feel about the Meyvn Nooj, huh?" Braco, his nose runny from the violent drop in temperature the sudden and irregular rains had brought on the region, asked with a stuffed up voice. He swiped under his snotty nose before sniffling in again.

"Yeah, I don't get it," Dimitri threw down his cards to look at Leblanc, deciding, she supposed, that he was bored with that and more interested in the conversation.

"None of your business, twerps," Lyra snapped before waving her hand at them, "While Love-Love and I are talking, why don't you two get something from the mess hall before they close up. There will be no sneaking midnight snacks from you cadets."

"But it's pouring!" Dimtri whined.

"So? You two have waited long enough. The food won't even be warm by this time," Lyra tried to shoo them out the tent again. "There isn't going to be any more food for you to eat if you don't hurry your butts up."

"Auntie Lyra, aren't you going to eat?" Braco asked, pushing up his glasses with a chubby finger.

"No, I'm staying right here and talking to Love-Love," Lyra leaned more back into the bags, obviously set on staying in her place.

"Why can't we too?" Dimitri swayed on his spot by the pile of cards, "Why not?"

"Because you two are going to eat dinner whether you have to swim to get it or not." Lyra pointed to the flap way, "Now go and get some food for yourselves."

"I don't want to walk through the rain," Dimitri crossed his arms defiantly, "I'm not going!"

"You are, or you're going to know what it feels like running through the rain on an empty stomach," Lyra threatened, "Now go on! I'll count to ten before I start deciding on how much laps I want to put you through."

Dimitri narrowed his eyes and pouted, "You **always **make us do things we don't wanna do."

"So~rry," Lyra bobbed her head from side to side stiffly, her fists finding either side of her hips, and she sat up, "I just want to feed you twerps while your mamas go and try and make homes for you back in Luca."

Dimitri stood up onto his feet, his small nine-year old arms still crossed over his torso, "I hate you!"

"Right back at you!" Lyra bit off before snapping her fingers towards the tent way, "Go to the mess hall and eat your dinners. Then brush your teeth and come back here. Or, run. Your choice, boys."

Grumbling, they left their card game and made their way out into the rain to do as they were told. Leblanc sighed.

"They're just being a little bratty right now," Lyra sighed too, "Especially Dimitri. He always was the more hot headed one out of the two. Don't worry about them, once they eat, they'll be in a better mood."

"Well," Leblanc gave a light shrug of her shoulders, "You could've been a little bit more patient with them."

"Hmm?" Lyra looked up through her purplish bangs before letting her head fall back into the packs, "Yeah…I guess so. I'm just a kid too, aren't I?"

"It's nice of you to take care of them for your sisters though," Leblanc smiled, "It must have been a handful to get them suddenly."

"They need to eat, and Amarmelia and Tanza need to get lives to put them in," Lyra folded her thin arms over her torso, "They were chased out of Bevelle not too long ago for being obvious supporters of the Youth League. They were more subtle with it before the alliance between the three leaders of Spira but they figured that it wouldn't be a problem anymore afterwards. Apparently, not a lot of opinions have changed…"

"That's the world we live in," Leblanc folded her legs towards her and wrapped her arms around them, pulling them closer, "Which one is Dimtiri's mother and which one is Braco's?"

"Amarmelia, my eldest sister, had Braco with her husband Kaiyo. But, my sister Tanza had a boyfriend our family didn't really get to meet and he left when Dimitri was born. Maybe that's why he's such a brat sometimes, Tanza has a light hand if you know what I mean and his dad didn't do the disciplining."

"Oh," Leblanc shivered a little at the rainy chill from the slight crack in the opening of the tent carelessly left by the boys before she leaned out and closed it up right.

"But you don't need to hear about my problems, let's hear about yours." Lyra looked up at Leblanc again, "What happened with the Meyvn?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"And that was the problem," Leblanc's head sunk on her shoulders, "I had the perfect opportunity, love, to tell him how I feel but I didn't."

"Why didn't you?" Lyra adjusted her body onto her side, her elbow propping up her head, while Mia Trenraka, the co-actress with Vakida in her last movie, said her line lightly in the background from the movie stand that was still running.

"I was…distracted by something," Leblanc set her chin on her knees, her eyes looking aimlessly around the space.

"Like, wha-ttt?" Lyra stretched out the last word for emphasis.

"Logos said something not to long ago… I think I've told you that I'm pretty sure that he might be in love with me?" Leblanc raised her voice at the end of her last sentence like it was a question. She tilted her head, thinking of how strange it sounded coming out of her mouth, "I've already decided that I don't love him back, but for some reason I thought about him today. Right in the middle of my so-close confession even!"

Lyra smiled wide, "If that's the case, are you _really _sure you don't like him back?"

"Of course I like him back, I just don't _love _him back." Leblanc swallowed hard, her chest feeling odd while she said it. It was almost like she felt sick. She hoped she wasn't catching something again from all this rain like last time. That would be a real pain.

"Tell me about him," Lyra rolled onto her back, half lying on the ground and half tucked into her sleeping bag, "I don't know too much about him."

"Who, Logos?" Leblanc looked up in the air after Lyra nodded her head, "Well, he's a gunner, but it's not just that. He's a pretty good shot along with it. In all this time I've known him, I haven't seen him miss. He's a reliable friend," She laughed lightly, "Ormi is too. What more can I say? They're just my boys."

"Hey, I always wondered-" Lyra lifted her head fully off of her palm, her eyes widening a bit, "Why do you call them that?"

"Call them what, love?" Leblanc turned her eyes from above to Lyra's face, smiling wide and coyly.

"Oh, you know, boys," Lyra rolled, softly slipping onto her back and stretching her hands high over her head, "I mean, I call my nephews boys because that's what they are, but aren't they older than you? Or are they really younger than you. I find that hard to believe though, but it's kind of hard to tell how old Logos is-"

"I don't know," Leblanc blushed a little at the thought that, for long as knowing them, she never cared to learn their age. How old were they anyways? As for the question- "I just call them that because, hmm, I don't know exactly, let me think."

Then, aloud, Leblanc wondered, "How long have I been calling them that?"

_Since…when I first met them._

She smiled. That was something else. Her first impressions of them weren't much different from any other persons, and their impressions of her couldn't have been that much different from the rest of Spira. But, at the same time, there was something that clicked between them, all three, from the beginning.

"I always got along with them since the moment I met them," Leblanc couldn't stop smiling. It was a happy moment, and she never even realized that it was until now, so far away from them and in another group. With different cause, goals, people- Though the deep feeling of missing wasn't there, she still felt something. It was closer to nostalgia though, and happiness from the memories.

"They were quiet, and I think they had been homeless for a long time before they found me." Leblanc pulled her knees closer, her eyes drifting upwards again as she recalled the images from her mind and tried to find the right words for them, "I remember them being hungry because Ormi's stomach growled loud when I was talking to them."

Lyra rolled again, onto her stomach, and girlishly kicked her feet up, her chin in her hands again, "Go on," she coaxed.

"Logos didn't say anything at all," Leblanc tilted her head, squinting her eyes at the picture in her head.

When they had first spoken at all, they were in the living room. Ormi stood up, nervously changing from one wide foot to the next, trying to keep his face straight even as his stomach rumbled, and Logos stood with his hands folded behind his back and his stance spread.

"From the way he stood-" Leblanc spoke slowly, lost in her recollections, "-I could tell that he was a fighter of some kind, most likely a solider. I didn't even noticed the revolvers he had strapped to his belt behind him. And Ormi must've been a fighter too because he had the build for it. I thought they'd be useful, so I hired them, and I turned out to be right. The interview for them was interesting, but I didn't ask anything about them past ability and they didn't divulge anything I didn't need to know."

And they were so incredibly grateful for it. She guessed by their general smell an their wrinkled worn clothes, which had some signs of dusting off and pressing down with hands, that they had no where to go. It wasn't necessarily a surprise, plenty of Yevonites suddenly found themselves without a job when they lost faith, so she didn't ask. It probably was a touchy subject, like it was with most of Spira which even then was already showing signs of dividing into two parts.

Their happiness was obvious and plain to see when she said that they could live with her on special conditions, since they were homeless. Besides, it was a little lonely in the chateau with just her and Mara. Of course, once she let Logos and Ormi stay then she would then let anyone that needed a place stay as well and before she knew it, she had a full house.

Leblanc never really thought about it in such a long time. Usually her thoughts were taken up with hunting the next sphere, and Nooj, and hunting another sphere for Nooj. Leblanc's face sunk before she bowed her head into her knees.

"I guess I don't know much about them at all, though," Leblanc spoke softly, "I thought I did though."

"I'm sure you know the stuff that matters," Lyra nodded, her voice trying to be uplifting, "They wouldn't be so attached to you otherwise."

"Yes, yes, love, _attached_," Leblanc repeated, _And what did I just do with that? I wish they weren't so attached. Then things would've been a lot easier that way. But- it would've been a lot harder before I left if they weren't attached to me either. _It was a known fact that they were often right behind her, backing her up, in difficult situations. And with the imitating two a step back when she conducted sells with more judgmental customers, at least the customers kept their traps shut about what they thought she was like by the way she looked. They were fiercely loyal, and that alone made missions safer, for her anyways. She should've thanked them, really thanked them, at least once. A little too late for that now, but still- she regretted that she didn't.

"Love-Love?" Respectfully almost, Lyra stayed silent and let Leblanc think to herself. But now, as Leblanc breathed out slowly, she reached out and lightly touched her arm.

"It's nothing love," Leblanc looked up over her forearms.

"What's the matter?" Lyra crawled closer, concern showing on her face. Leblanc managed a smile, since she found the face Lyra was making towards her uncomfortable. It was almost like she was stealing it. It was like, she didn't deserve to have that face be made at her. Now that was a depressing thought…

"It's nothing!" Leblanc laughed lightly, her brows arching, and her hand subconsciously waving madly off to the side of her head as she nervously, and rather poorly, made excuses for her sudden drop in mood, "I was just thinking too much about something, love. If people think to much it just gets depressing, so I'm not going to think any more about it, ha ha ha!"

It was needless to say that she still felt crummy, but if she didn't move on then nothing was going to improve. Easier said than done, but Leblanc was willing to try.

Lyra raised her brows, her mouth turning lopsided against her face, before the ends of her lips raised up in a smirk. Whispering, her voice barely audible through the storm, Lyra leaned closer to Leblanc and spoke through her smile, "Leblanc, could it be that you love Logos instead of Nooj?"

"L-love Logos?" Leblanc repeated, her hand raised up between Lyra and herself as she leaned away from the other woman inching closer. Honestly, that wasn't what she was thinking about, and she's tried so hard to make a point of staying that way. Now, Lyra was dead set on ruining that plan/ Leblanc could see that much in her face.

Lyra looked more like a teenager than ever, trying to wring secrets from their friend's lips, and Leblanc was failing in her attempts to produce a flat-out 'no'.

To produce more time, and to try and hide how flustered she was, Leblanc asked, "Me? And Logos?"

"Yeah, do you love Logos more than Nooj now?"

Now that was kind of an absurd thought. _Actually _loving Logos, the one that was always grumpy on missions, yelled at the Goons' incompetence-their inability. The one that cursed the Dullwings interference, hated having to tromp all the way to Youth League rain or shine, snapped at the people that bumped into him at Luca if he was having a bad day. True, he seemed to have feelings for her…she thought…but that doesn't mean she had to like him back!

Right! She loved Nooj. That was fact, plain and simple. And if things weren't going so well with him as she thought, then so what too! Nooj was the only one for her! There was no doubt- no doubt whatsoever-none, zip, nadda. Nope, not even the tiniest little glimmer of doubt. Not a shred of it.

_Sorry Logos, I'm so sure of myself that there couldn't even be a teeniest chance that I would ever love you. Of course I'm friends with you, and I hope you can forgive me sometime for being a little insensitive-alright, _Leblanc battled with her conscience, the same one that had brought her done a minute before _-maybe a bit more than a little insensitive. And, it's sweet how you always try (even when you fail) to take care of me…but- but- _

_If I'm so sure than why am I confused! _

"What were you thinking about, Love-Love?" Lyra took her turn to scoot away from Leblanc, whose inner turmoil was clearly painting out on her face as she thought it out, except Lyra couldn't hear the corresponding words. "I smell your brain frying, Love-Love, don't over do it. I was kind of joking, okay?"

"Of course!" Leblanc slapped the side of her head, like she'd seen Ormi do so many times in moments of awkward bumbling. Realizing only afterwards that the motion probably should've been conducted more lightly, "Ow."

Lyra sat onto her knees, "Well, about what I said, I think…it wouldn't hurt to think about it. If it makes you confused like that than maybe it's worth a little thought."

"Love doesn't require thinking," Leblanc repeated what she had told Nia earlier that day, "I know I love Nooj. I don't have to think about that." Leblanc looked down at her hands. She knew she didn't love Logos. Thinking about it, why would she? He complains to much, has a foul temper, condescending to most, a video pervert of some kind- yeah? Why would she? Why _should _she? Nooj was still number one!

"He's awfully tall though-" Lyra let her voice trail off, voicing only a bit of her thought process she had been debating off in her skull, "-Do you know why he's like that? Were his parents that way?"

"Who?" Leblanc turned her head to Lyra, still sitting in front of her on her knees, kneeling.

"Who else?" Lyra put her hands on her hips and leaned back, "Are you with me, Love-Love, because I'm getting the feeling that you're not. Who have we been talking about this entire time?"

"Oh," Leblanc slightly blush for her quick moment of idiocy before leaning back and folding her arms around her torso, "What did you say about him?"

"Why is he so tall? And his face so squinty?" Lyra shifted around the tent again before plopping into the packs again, back at the beginning. "I was just thinking about it. He sure looks different doesn't he?"

"Sticks out in a crowd," Leblanc nodded, "He doesn't like being stared at though."

"Huh? Why?" Lyra turned her head a little to look at Leblanc for the answer.

"I don't know," She shrugged in response, her eyes rolling to the side a little to meet Lyra's, "Ormi doesn't like it much either. They both prefer to be in the background."

"The complete opposites of you!" Lyra laughed, loud and gratingly, before adding her index finger in Leblanc's direction mockingly, "You always are the center of things!"

Leblanc snapped, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Lyra shook her hands peacefully, her head lowering a little, "Don't get me wrong, Love-Love, I like you, it's just that you're not the type to sit in a corner and be the wallflower. Maybe that's why they like you so much, I was kind of wondering how folks like your goons come together anyways."

Leblanc re-crossed her arms and fell back into the side of the pack pile. Her head nearly bumped into Lyra's when the latter joined her. She sighed, her eyes drifting upwards to study the hanging 'charms' Lyra's nephews made to ward off fiends and mosquitoes, that were largely ineffective, and to decorate the tent, which served its purpose well enough.

"You guys, oh what's the word…" Lyra put her hand to her chin as she thought about it, "Ah! I got it!" She snapped her fingers, "You compliment each other!"

"C-compliment, love?" Leblanc screwed her face sideways. That was the last word she thought Lyra was going to say. Then again, she wasn't quite sure how she'd describe her boys and herself, but 'compliment' was an odd word that seemed to come out of nowhere.

"No, really!" Lyra threw one leg over her bent one, propping it up, "You're like center stage, and they're on either side of you backing you up! It's perfect!"

"For a syndicate, of course." Leblanc closed her eyes and let out a slow breath, "The set up worked beautifully."

"What are they doing now without you?" Lyra's voice was small in the cramped space.

"Excuse me, love?" Leblanc's eyes shot open, the words hitting a cord.

"What are they doing without you?" Lyra frowned, "Wait, you wouldn't know would you? Sorry…"

Leblanc threw herself up before spinning around with her hands clenched into fists, "Are you trying to make me feel guilty!"

"No…" Lyra opened her eyes a little wider, surprised at the sudden burst of energy from the side of her.

"Then stop talking about it" Leblanc growled before lowering her hands down forcefully. And just when she stopped feeling guilty about leaving them, now it's back again! And on top of that she still had to deal with Logos and what she felt about him- Wait, she knew damnit! She loved Nooj! She loved Nooj!.

Leblanc sighed agitatedly, letting up the weight from her shoulders a little with the breath, before slowly reclining back into the packs her face tense.

With the Goons, it wasn't this stressful. Alright it was stressful but on a different level. For one, she didn't have to defend herself near as much but she often had to save the Goons if they ran, and they almost always did, into trouble. Leblanc could chose when she worked, and no one cared when she woke up in the morning, but she had a lot more responsibility, working to keep the chateau running. Though, Logos helped with that, Leblanc always had to do something when he argued with Taji or some other goon. So, it was still a lot of work, though more mental straining then physical as it was at the Youth League. It was nice though, when she could take long warm baths instead of quick cold showers, after a long day. And, she found camaraderie by reading magazines and getting back massages with her female goons, plus Daji, instead of simply chatting when the opportunity arose or talking while leaning against some leather packs, only to regret it in the morning because she could've used that time to sleep.

But, the château didn't have Nooj, and that meant everything. She'd endure any hardships for love!

Nooj's voice floated into her mind, _"Are you happy here?" He asked with his confident and level tone. _

Of course, of course, of course! Leblanc screwed her eyes tighter, hearing Lyra's breathing already slow to a steady half-lethargic rhythm. Of course she was happy. She was with Nooj, well, not always, barely….She was still closer to him! And he wouldn't be busy forever.

Leblanc sighed again, her eyes opening slightly to look at the dangling charms overhead. Circlets spun slowly, the slight air current from the bottom of the tent allowing it to move so carefully. The light of the movie sphere stand bathed the darkness of the tent in electric blue light, the circlets glowing in it, and continuing to turn.

She was happy with the château too though.

_What do I want? Am I really so fickle that I can't just stay to what I originally plan for once? _

The tent's flap opened with a shove of a purple nail-painted hand and a soaking blue green haired boy grumpily frowned into the tent, "Aunt Lyra!"

Lyra instantly shot up, half groggy with the coming sleep she was about to slip into, before she looked grumpily at Dimitri, "What?"

With a fuming voice, "We're done eating."

"What about brushing your teeth?" Lyra gave a quick rub to her eyes before looking at her two nephews, Braco poking his dripping brown bowl haired cut head in next.

"Aw, come on!" Dimtri pouted again, "I don't wanna!"

"Go do it, you're already wet," Lyra snapped, "And come back quick before you catch a cold."

"I'm already gonna get a cold," Dimitri mumbled.

"Go do it! I'm not repeating myself Dimitri!" Lyra pointed out again, "Go brush your teeth. You'll be happy when you don't have to have Ruckus yank out your sore tooth and get a mouth full of fake teeth like Hacky."

"I'd be happier doing that then going into the rain again!" Dimitri made a loud sputtering noise, getting the rain water away from his face. He crossed his arms and pouted deeply, "I don't wanna go!"

"Move it twerps!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yep, the longest chapter I've ever written. 24 pages…wow….**

**Thank you so much for reading! ^_^ What's gonna happen next you ask? Wait and see! Chapter 12 is already in the process of being written.  
><strong>


	12. Calm Before a Storm

**A/N: Right, so this is mostly a Logos chapter and I don't know why! :P Just enjoy the gunner oh yeah! **

**Are you glad of my return? I'm hijacking my sister's laptop for the internet because the internet on my desktop was (and still is) DOWN! So in secret I'm posting the next few chapters. Currently working on chapter 15 but anyhoo, carry on.**

* * *

><p>"Chapter 12: Calm Before a Storm"<p>

* * *

><p>"Good morning!" Taji and Daji crashed into Logos, who still laid under his comforter as he did from the night before, sleeping.<p>

Logos sat up immediately, displacing the twins to topple onto their hind ends to the wood floor with a hard crash, before growling at them, "Get out!"

"Ahh!" From the point of a revolver clenched tightly in the gunner's hand, the twins escaped down the hall, Taji screaming over his shoulder, "You promised to go see the Boss this morning!"

Logos blinked as the last bit of the teenager's voice echoed and died in the basement before lowering his arm with a light pat against the blankets to look over at the time on the screen of his room, now on again, though flickering, 4:22.

"Ugh, morons," Logos rubbed his face. There was no getting back to sleep now, and irritably, there was a moment of no walking as well because Daji landed on his lap, and a more sensitive spot along with it, when the idiosyncratic duo pounced on his bed to rudely wake him up.

He could understand their impatience; he himself was nearly ready to go and walk out at midnight, thinking 'well, it is the next day technically' before deciding some sleep would probably be wise. A little under four hours of sleep. He's had worst off, so it wouldn't be too much trouble getting up now, but he still could've slept at least two hours more.

Finding no sense in waiting when the twins were just going to come back again within minutes, he turned out of bed and slung his feet out.

The spheres that Ormi had brought, the two of more value for the Meyvn Nooj, sat more patiently than the twin goons on top of his blue coat that laid on the card table. His body felt a little achy, so he dimly thought about getting a quick cup of coffee again before he really took off, before he started to go through the mindless gestures of getting ready.

The green and light purple spheres rolled towards the middle of the table as the gunner yanked his coat from underneath them. He jammed his arms into the sleeves, watching the spheres stop comfortably in the middle of the table, before reaching under his collar and pulling the tight fitting hood of his undershirt out.

Once his helmet was securely over his head, and the looped belts weighting down his hips with his revolvers strapped behind him, Logos sighed and stared at the spheres.

It didn't take much further thought to come to the conclusion that, despite his desperate theories to try and make this situation any easier on himself, he still loved Leblanc. He still couldn't explain why she was so different to him, or why he couldn't forget about her even now, but it was undeniable that he was in love with her and only her.

Did every person on this planet have a similar problem with love? Was there really an answer to begin with or was it just something that simply _was_? Too tired to get philosophical, Logos just accepted the more easier answer, he loved Leblanc and that was that, then went about getting his gloves, wrappings, and shoes on.

He snatched up the spheres, tossed them into the inner lining of his coat, and opened the double doors of his room to leave.

Hiding around the corner of the oscillo-finer room hallway was a Fem-Goon with her head peeking around the corner. Logos was a little too preoccupied to care, figuring quickly in his head that she, either Mara or Erie, since he didn't have time to try and guess which Fem-Goon, was just impatiently waiting for him to leave like everyone else. As soon as the doors of the living room shut, the Fem-Goon leapt out of the shadows and rushed up the ramp, darted left, and came to a screeching halt in front of the warrior's room.

"Psst, Ormi!" Erie didn't wait too long for an answer, knowing for sure he was in there by his loud rattling, so she pushed her way into the unlocked room without knocking.

She walked to the weight-lifting station he was sleeping on, a dopey grin plastered over his face, and planted her feet right beside it into the hard floor.

"Did you fall asleep while lifting weights?" Erie cocked her hip and crossed her arms, her head tilting as he laid under a dangerously bent bar that was straining down with several heavy metal weights. She shook her head a little and her low voice rose over a slight whisper, "Now, that can't be safe."

He continued to snore, still unaware of her presence. Strange, Erie noted, he usually woke up from someone sneaking up on him, at least he woke up often enough when a fiend was venturing about. But, Erie remembered she had a lighter step than most and accepted that as the reason for it. That, and he probably stayed up last night watching the news and talking to Logos again. He still hadn't got back on track of waking up during the day since the six-sphere mission he went on a couple of days before.

He opened his mouth wide, snuffled, than wheezed out his breath.

"Yo idiot," Erie lifted her foot and planted her heel into his flabby cheek.

He woke up with a bleary-eyed start, his fists balling up and he sat up swiftly with them rolling out in front of his body. In his jump up from the bench, his head bonked into the resting bar across the rack, before he blindly swung his fists around, "Who wants a piece of me?" He groggily swiveled his head in all directions, trying to find the thing that woke him up, "Huh?"

"Good morning, sleepy-head," Erie dully smiled through her mask, her monotone voice once again distinguishing her apart from the sweet-voiced Fem-Goon Mara.

"Auh, good morning." Ormi rubbed his wild black clumps of hair around on his head, making his bed-head look worse, before blinking and yawning. He stretched out his arms before flopping his hands down with a smack against his body and, finally asked, with a few more blinks around, "Whut time is it?"

"I don't know…three-something, four-something?" Erie adjusted her weight to her other leg, "I'm just here to inform you, genius, that ol' eagle eyes has left the nest."

"Already?" Ormi was still waking up, so his voice was muzzy as he said, "Ain't it a little early?"

"I'd say, but I don't care. The sooner the better."

Ormi tentatively checked the bump on his head, winced, then slapped his hand down onto his lap. "It's still rainin' cats and dogs out there?"

"Doesn't show any sign of stopping anytime soon," Erie nodded, before adding, "And except the twins, and Rouk, no one else is awake."

"Wow, whut got the twins up so early?" Ormi gave his chest a scratch, wondering plainly on his face for Erie to see what it was that got him up too.

"They're excited. They believe that your plan really is going to work out." Erie smiled again, "I think Rouk was doing something else, but he's probably just as impatient."

"Do youse think mission's going to work?" Ormi looked out of the corner of his black eyes to the goon.

"Yeah...do you?"

"Yeah! I thought it up didn't I? It wouldn't make much sense if I thought it wouldn't work!" Ormi lifted up his shoulders, beaming and more awake than before, "Everything is almost done! Just wait and see!"

"That's great to hear." Erie honestly and fully smiled, relief filling her veins and nearly escaping from her pores, "So it's going to happen soon, right, right? Whatever you're planning?"

"Really soon!" Ormi shook his head so hard that his cheeks wriggled with the motion again before he closed his eyes tight, "But not so soon tha'd I can't sleep some more!"

Without any hesitation after finishing his statement, Ormi fell backwards, bumping the bar again, and his body cringed immediately following the ring of his skull against the metal.

"Smart," Erie crossed her arms over her body comfortably.

"Ow…" He rubbed the back of his head, two bumps seemingly growing under his palm, before laying more carefully back.

"Well, sleep tight," Erie smiled one last time before turning to leave."Yeah," Ormi yawned greatly, putting his hand up to his mouth and shutting his eyes sleepily, "See you."

* * *

><p>"Well, well, well," Rouk crackly voice nearly made Logos spin around with the fruit knife in hand, before the gunner forcibly relaxed himself.<p>

"What do you want?" Logos stabbed into a green hard skinned fruit, something native to Guadosalam that he couldn't pronounce the name of more often than not, and opened it up to show its rich yellowy insides. It was a sweet fruit, but nobody was eating them since it took too long to cut up in comparison to ready-to-eat apples and pears. Thinking, 'waste not, want not', the gunner started to cut them up before they went bad to eat along the way.

"Well? What do you want?" Logos repeated, irritable, before slicing another green skinned bean shaped pod and taking a juicy bite from it. It would have to be a quick breakfast if he was to leave as immediately as humanly possible while still being somewhat prepared.

"I didn't expect you to get up so early," The doctor chuckled before stiffly leaning into the side of the door that led to the front entryway, and his bright gray eyes settled on the gunner's back that was facing a table to complete his task of chopping up fruit into manageable pieces. Speaking to the gunner, the only one in the living room aside from the doctor himself, Rouk's voice creaked amused, "If I wasn't going crazy with old age, I'd almost say you were excited to go."

"Well, you could say that I am," Logos bit into another slice before scooping the rest with the side of his knife into a pouch. It would come in handy for snacking along the way to the Youth League, which he was determined on reaching before the sun went out. Which meant, even with the early start, that he wouldn't be stopping for proper food and would have to eat while on foot. Taking all the short cuts that he knew, and hopefully running into minimal trouble, he should arrive before night fell, or perhaps a little after, but either way not so late as to concern the Meyvn Nooj, which Leblanc would appreciate.

He was confident he could do it. After all, Leblanc could get there in that time or even less without so much as thinking of stopping, much to his past displeasure, and without a break or food to eat that wasn't carried in the hand.

She had something to get there for, and now he did too, so perhaps the journey wouldn't be as feet breaking as it usually was.

"Before you go-" Rouk held his palm out, his silvery eyes seeing Logos toss the sealed pouch into the lining of his coat, readying himself to take off.

"What?" Logos nearly growled, not too terribly pleased at having to be stopped before his trip even began. Not to mention that the first thought of his mind was that perhaps the Dr. Goon was going to say something to keep him from leaving all together.

"What are you going to say to the Boss? Go on and tell me so you don' t screw this up." Rouk leaned back, annoyingly seeming to prepare himself for something long and boring. Logos's brow twitched before he sighed out his testiness and set his shoulders back.

"I'm not quite sure. I think I'll most likely apologize first." Logos looked up, thinking hard, "Then…I'm not sure. But, one way or another everything is going to come out right, or by Lady Luck I'm going to become a mute. I've already decided that I'm not going to fumble this attempt up. Does this satisfy you?"

"Hmm," Rouk twisted his thin cold lips sideways, "Not really. I just want to know if you are in love with the Boss as much as I think you are."

"I can't answer that for sure," Logos pursed his mouth a little, glancing at the floor for a second, then back up again, "I'm certain I'm in love with the Boss, if I know anything at all, so don't misunderstand. But, I'm not quite sure if I can bring her back for you, which I'm sure is your main concern."

"That wasn't my question to you," Rouk crackled, "Do you love the Boss more than anyone?"

Without a beat passing, "Yes."

"Not one person, from here to the Farplane, comes before her, right?" Rouk looked deadly serious at the gunslinger with steely eyes.

"Yes."'

"Not even yourself?"

"Of course not even myself! Since when did I ever put myself before the Boss?" Logos narrowed his eyes, "Is that all?"

Rouk shrugged, "Good enough for me. Let's see if it's good enough for her."

"Ha!" Logos bit off before striding forward to the door. He stopped when the goon didn't seem to be moving from leaning in the door frame, completely in the way. Logos lifted his hand towards the older goon and lifted his brows at him, "Excuse me, Rouk, but I can't humiliate myself in front of the Boss and the entire Youth League unless you step aside."

"Don't give up on her," Rouk shook his head, staring straight off into the living room instead of the gunner, "Show me you love her, and stay with her until all hope is gone, meaning one of you are dead. I mean it."

"That's a new one," Logos straightened his back, his eyes landing on the weathered face that was deliberately looking away from him. Pride was such a sad thing.

"I thought all you goons wanted me to bring the Boss back? I'm sure even Ormi is concocting schemes right now to try and fix things if I fail." Logos leaned one side of his face away, his mouth slanting questioningly, "So why do you say that I should stay with the Boss? Are you even suggesting that I join the Youth League, should I fail?"

"It is your call on the last question," Rouk leaned from one foot to the other, looking over his glasses at the gunslinger, "However, it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep close to the boss."

Logos snorted, the idea of actually joining the Youth League, him, being both amusing and a little crazy.

"And anyways-" The old goon shook his wrist in the air, "Your sniveling is getting on my nerves for one and two," Rouk smirked, his sharp and narrow teeth becoming exposed through the triangle his lips made as he lowered his hand, "I just want to see if you youngsters understand what you want. As for Ormi, I don't care what he and the goons plan. I'm saying this because it's what _I _want to say."

"Well," Logos smirked back, his eyes narrowing again, "If I do fail, I don't think I'll join the Youth League, but I won't leave the Boss. That sounds like a great alternative to just coming back here and leading the Syndicate-"

"Poorly."

Logos was slower to continue, taking a bit of time to glare at the Dr. Goon first, "-leading the Syndicate _poorly_, anyways."

"Good, so I don't want to see your ugly squinty face again," Rouk kicked off of the frame, readying to step out of the way, "Either come back a hero, or don't come back at all."

"Nobody said I wanted to see your face either." Logos shot back before briskly walking through the door, now the way was clear, and set himself on the only destination that was worth going to in Spira anymore; The Youth League.

As soon as the gunner exited through the vibrant front doors, the downpour of the same incredible rain from the night before dumped itself onto his head. Looking up at the sky by angling his head, he shook the initial shock from the wet cold from his body and pressed forward, ready to travel as planned all the way through without delay.

* * *

><p>Leblanc breathed slowly, calming herself, against the static of the air as the same bloody storm raged around her. The overhanging cliff above her head gave enough protection from the rain save the dampness of the air, and perhaps even the lightning, but the storm swirling around her was just as nerve-racking as the Thunder Plains.<p>

"It's my element," She grumbled aloud, "Why am I so nervous about it?"

"What?" Hacky, his arms behind his head as he reclined into a pile of soggy boulders, turned his face towards her voice.

"Nothing," Leblanc sighed, "I just hate storms that go on for too long. It's almost unnatural."

"Well, this is nature, so it is _natural_, but it is at its meanest," Hacky nodded, the storm blinding their vision for at least five feet out. The storm blotted out anything else to be observed normally from their perch on the natural back wall of the Youth League.

"Ah, why now?" Leblanc groaned, her eyes closing, "With all this rain, Noojie-woojie barely has anytime for anything! Least of all me!"

"N-noojie-…what?" Hacky nearly squeaked.

"Nothing!" Leblanc snapped, repeating the same word as before only with more bite, "Mind your own business Hacky."

"But you're the one talking out loud!" He shouted over the rain pelting the cliffs before exhaling over the thunder, "Geez, Love-Love, sometimes I just don't know where your head is."

"In my heart!" Leblanc, clearly bristled, shook the chills of the stormy morning from her arms. She hadn't been working it long, but so far, her impression of the early guard shift was a gloomy and dismal experience. She felt a bit more warmer thinking about Nooj, but her imaginings couldn't do anything about the tangible early cold, unlike her fantasies, that was ramming itself into her. And on top of that, every time she thought about Nooj, she thought about the night before, which would always lead back to-

"Wow, I can believe that," Hacky laughed.

Leblanc took a spot against a boulder, choosing to stand, though the snaking mist from the rains found its moist way into her clothes whether she sat down or not.

If she could physically beat the cold with a weapon, she would, and if she could 'heel' the real life Logos for sneaking his way over the thoughts of Nooj, than she'd do that too.

A snap of electric blue lightning crackled into the stony ruins far off in the distance. Seconds later, Hacky counting eight ticks to be exact, a rumble of thunder passed through the ravine.

Another flash, and Hacky didn't even count to two ticks before the thunder shook the very cliffs of Mushroom Rock Road.

She shivered. Nooj probably didn't get the chills from silly, though dangerous, lightning. And she wasn't either. It was a little unnerving though, to be standing with little to no guard against the nature's hot sword from the sky.

_Oh, Nooj…_Logos's narrow slanted eyed face came into her mind's eye, as she, despite her instant annoyance, remembered _him _yet again. He said he'd show Nooj, what a joke! He couldn't show the underside of her heel that he was more of a manly man than Nooj! _Right! So get out of my thoughts so I can think about Nooj, and only Nooj…_What did he mean exactly by show Nooj anyways? Why on earth would he even try!

Lightning flashed so close now that Leblanc even heard the crack of splitting air as it struck the ground, the ground trembling and quaking afterwards almost instantly.

"Aaarrgh! Stupid lightning, stupid damp, stupid LOGOS!" She squealed to a high pitch, nearly throwing herself into her famous fits, before Hacky's calm voice slid over the sound of her grinding teeth.

"What's the last one got to do with anything?" Hacky blinked and a bit of condensed water on his lashes flicked off and fell from his face.

Leblanc shook herself, groaning, "Ohh-er! I can't get him out of my head!"

Hacky's eyes widened, "Really?" He honestly sounded like he was in disbelief, "Wait, does that mean you like him now instead?"

"I DO NOT!" Leblanc screamed out over the ravine, her voice echoing and mixing with the pounding rain in the gigantic puddles that the course of raining from the past few days had caused.

"Easy," Hacky held out his hands and gently swayed them, as if he was calming a rampaging animal instead of a human being, "I didn't mean anything by it."

Leblanc fumed, "If I ever see his face again- Ahugh! He's really going to GET it!"

"Well, I'm not envious of him!" Hacky nervously chuckled before staring out into the streaks against the gray sky.

* * *

><p>"Great," Logos slipped in the mud for- he's actually forgotten what exact number this is as he had slipped forward countless times so far, and that was making his time horrible as he trudged through the rain all the while feeling what some called the sky's tears-no in this situation it was more like the sky's mocking piss- smack him in the face.<p>

His foot sunk into a belching hole, and he yanked it out with a grunt and another foul complaint. Moving forward again, before slipping a bit, catching himself, and moving even more on.

Passing over the Moonflow was a nightmare within itself. The mostly lethargic Shoopuf was uncharacteristically nervous as lightning streaked the no longer neutral Moonflow sky, and having to argue with the Hypellos, their speech impediment grating on his nerves, and finally trying to bribe them to let him through immediately.

Gil was nice, though nothing the more timid creatures would risk their lives for, but toss in that yellow Guado fruit, gil, and practically begging on his knees, they sent him across possibly just to be rid of him. And take into account how long the trip over took, since the Shoopuf kept spooking at every little bit of lightning and thunder, Logos was finally on the other side hours later than he had planned, perfect.

And the rain was just pouring on, and unless he was imagining it due to his more negative disposition, it was only coming down harder.

"Just perfect!" He cussed after ward, sourly, as the animals around the Moonflow path flinched under the safe canopy of trees, "Of course it wouldn't let up on me! Just this once, Lady Luck, do you think you could help me instead of do everything in your vast power to thwart my every attempt at peace of mind! No, you just have to keep me on my toes don't you? Well, now I know why no one believes in you. It should figure to not follow a deity with less followers than even Yevon. Well, my foolish mistake!"

A flash of lightning darted across the sky, skipping from one cloud to the next, and a crashing of the eardrums followed. Logos looked up bitterly at the sky, just as he stepped onto the clear stretch of road known for it's bandits between Djose Temple and the peaceable Moonflow, "Screech at me all you like bitch. I say, screw you!"

A lightning bolt reached out from the heavens and met contact with the muddy ground mere feet away from Logos, causing the latter to literally yip and jump back, only to slip and fall on his back. The following earsplitting thunderclap startled monkeys and numerous birds into fleeing from the edges of the Flow woods altogether.

"I take it back!" Logos crawled backwards until he was under the safety of the tree line, though his mother used to tell him not to stand under trees during storms, but it was still probably better than standing out in the open after cursing at a deity that little to none had faith in anymore.

He bowed his head, respectful again after the crash of sense from the sky, "I'm sorry. My apologies."

More rain fell in the gallons, making the ground soaked and miserable. Logos caught a few more strengthening breaths before checking his forefinger for the yellow ring. It would help, at least a little, though he cursed himself for not investing in a surely helpful NulShock ring along with it.

Lightning spells were one thing, _real _lightning was another. At least with spells you could survive the voltage. He had been struck with lightning spells so many times by Leblanc when she got into one of her blind rages, usually after a smart comment about Nooj, but he's never been struck by real lightning. And though he's heard of surviving cases, he's also heard of blackened bodies that had to be identified by their teeth. And so far his luck today hadn't been that good.

"Have Luck in my pocket," He quoted a gambler's superstitious saying to the Lady for good fortune, and though he wasn't necessarily playing poker or any other game, it was a nice gesture for the gamble of his life.

One firm step out into the open again. Then another, a slip, and another. His foot got stuck momentarily, but he hardly let that slow him down. It wasn't wise to be out, even with the taller cliffs and that tree by the turn he was passing. He could still get struck and meet his end before ever seeing Leblanc's beautiful face ever again-

_**KER-CRASH!**_

"Oi!" He side-jumped only to realize the lightning struck the cliffs up above to the side of the sward of grass next to the drenched path.

Still, it was too close for comfort. Time to pick up the pace again.

His feet may have slipped a few times but he barely noticed it if it did. Without quite being aware of it, he started running with his head bent as the sessions of lightning was becoming less and less spread apart. It was like running through the Thunder Plains except the towers were there to bring comfort for him in the Plains.

The wind, as was his luck, started to really kick up as it seemed the climax of the storm was coming hard and fast, to last goodness how long as the one last night lasted hours with only a sprinkling break early morning around two o' clock. The second round of the storm was running wild with unbridled fury.

His feet finally slid out from underneath his speeding body but the motion and force behind his run did not stop him from continuing on. He slid on his backside, soiling about every part of his uniform that didn't have mud on it yet, and didn't stop at a breezing rate until his feet crashed knee-jarringly into the hovers that was parked by the path to Djose, abandoned at the moment while the weather was spiteful.

He took a moment to relax his knees, almost feeling like he might be required to pull them out of his rear for a moment, and his feet tapped against the metallic sides of the hover. He sat up and squinted his eyes past the lines of rain and gray gloom.

They wouldn't have by any chance left the keys would they? He sat up, achingly, before wiping at the mud as best as he could with dirty gloves. The hover was left without the keys unfortunately, which might as well have been as good since Logos probably would've crashed himself into a soggy cliff side before making it much of anywhere.

He felt the lining of his coat, the two bulges reassuring him that at least that much was going right and they hadn't fell out. Just to be sure, he reached in and pulled them out, just to reposition into the even deeper parts of his coat. It was awkward having the spheres nearly around to his back, but he dealt with it, finding that the discomfort only reminded him that they were still there.

A growl erupted off to the side of him, towards his destination, and just as his day was going, there was a pack of four Lupus, wet and disgruntled, staring him down with glowing violet eyes.

Stupid fiends. If they hated being wet so much, than they should've found some damn cover, but no, they have to come out and play.

Logos slowly, as to not alarm the lupines into attack, moved his arm behind him to his looped belts, the holsters strapped firmly behind him holding his faithful twin revolvers in place.

The first Lupus crouched low, its inky fur bristling along its huge hulking neck, and bared its sharp and dark gray teeth. Its tongue flopped out of its mouth, unraveling in its huge length to the muddy ground. In response, Logos narrowed his eyes and crouched as well, the revolvers in front of him and the polished wood handles gripped tightly into his filthy-wet gloves.

The hover was between him and the pack, and the pack was between him and the Youth League.

The Lupus lunged, its pack mates following suit, and Logos jumped from behind the hover to let them crash snout first into it. They yipped upon impact and whined much like human friendly canines did before regaining the lethal and excessively violent demeanor that separated them from average household dogs.

Logos hopped back onto the bridge towards Djose, then turned to fire both his revolvers, his lanky limbs outstretched. One Lupus caught it in the left eye while another cried out as blood exploded from the center of his nose in a crimson rose.

A flick of his wrist and another squeeze of a familiar trigger and the third took one in the middle of the brain before bursting into a show of pretty glowing orbs and shimmering multicolored tails.

The other two that were shot still stood drooling. Logos blinked the water out of his eyes to get off a better shot when the first hound leaped through the air, covering an amazing amount of distance, and closing the gap between them with its fangs and hot breath showing through the streaks of rain.

Logos swung his arm, the butt of his right-hand revolver crashing into its jaw. It fell onto the wet ground and slid away on its side before scrambling through the gray muck, trying in vain to get back on all four paws.

Logos lifted his revolver and aimed for another hound's head, but regrettably missed the as his bullet ripped off its entire ear, but not its target's head. Usually he didn't miss, but his vision was more than impaired with the rain beating his eyes down and his arm weighed down with the cursed water.

"I've had more than enough set-backs!" Logos screeched at the sudden amount of missing he was doing than usual. Then, he curved his arm out again and jammed the muzzle of his gun into the charging Lupus's open maw, his face pulled into a tight eyed scowl, before his finger flew over the trigger and a burst of light in the dimness fathered the beauty of swirling pyre flies.

"_Fryd'c uid drana?_" Voices broke through the misty bleakness behind him just as he stepped up onto the other half of the bridge, the other two hounds snarling and running for his neck.

"_Fiend!" _Another voice screamed before Logos audibly heard the clicking of guns. He wasn't at first going to duck, but then a thought hit him in the millisecond it took to just implant the sliver of the idea. They didn't see him, not in this poor light, and not in his dark, gray mud encrusted clothes. All they could've seen was shadows and heard the growling of the Lupus, who's mouth was excessively slobbering, working up to a Killer Fang to end him, no matter where it landed.

He dove to the ground in a headlong rush, the water puddles and liquid mud flying up from under him as he hit the ground with all the force of gravity behind him and he cupped the back of his neck, bending his head into the mud.

"_Vena!" _

A series of rapid shots shattered the space over him and there was a sharp 'Yipe!' from each of the Lupus before they thudded to the ground on their sides, dying, and pathetically whining. The flying shining spiral of pyre flies was finale to their deaths.

The Al Bhed, most likely because of the fact they couldn't see in the gloom and had no way of knowing exactly what, and how many, was out there, kept firing.

Logos rolled out of the way of the line of watery eruptions before a stray bullet ripped into his thin arm. The familiar hot kiss of pain from the bullets he fancied snapped his mind into action.

"Stop!" He shouted through gritted teeth, baring against the wound. It was a pain to get shot, anywhere actually, which was why he preferred the weapon. But it wasn't pleasant to be the one who received the shot. The first cry went unheard through the blasts of fire, so he raised his voice, "Stop it! I'm not a bloody fiend! Err.." -What was it that Ormi said was the word for stop?- "_ku-dewoo-baa_!"

It wasn't quite the correct way to pronounce _cdub _but it was efficient enough. The gunfire ceased and there was a series of three pairs of rushing, splashing, feet.

He stood and gripped his arm, that was bleeding profusely and annoyingly, and looked to them as soon as they came into his eyesight. He wasn't sure what they were spouting at him, his Al Bhed being non-existent except perhaps a few words that he just picked up, but the short Al Bhed youth was very apologetic. He was bowing his head, talking more rapidly than was necessary of the language, and questioning him about something, most likely that being his health.

"Hurt?" The middle man, a tall and broad shouldered blond, used broken Spirian, apparently being the better at communication out of the trio.

"Not a problem, I need to get to the Youth League." Logos felt a pang from his arm before narrowing his eyes against it, "I don't have time to waste."

"You hurt," The center Al Bhed was firm in his tone, and pointed from the gunner's chest to himself, "We can help. Come with us and you can leave. Fast."

"I'm not that injured!" Logos shook his hand, "I don't have the time! I'm already having to deal with so much nonsense today when all I need to do is get to the Youth League Headquarters."

"Storm bad. No good walking." The Al Bhed shook his head, before gesturing with his arm, "Better later maybe. You go then, smarter. You can get dry at Djose, 'kay _kihhan?_"

Kukee-ha-haahn? It didn't matter. The thought of getting out of the rain was more than a great idea. It was probably in fact, intelligent to rest up before going over to the Youth League Headquarters instead of arriving cold, disheveled, and worse for wear as night finally darkened everything. He sighed, giving in, "Fine."

"Yes?" The middle man nodded, his voice questioning, before receiving a curt nod from the gunner. He smiled friendly and stepped forward, lowering the Al Bhed rifle against his leg and his gun point to the ground before, in a very 'touchy' Al Bhed manner, plopping a yellow gloved hand opposite of the wound shoulder.

Logos bumped it off after the Al Bhed said, "We good at help."

"Yes, yes," Logos nearly rolled his eyes, but refrained from it to attempt, at least, to be friendly, "Let's just go on then."

Without waiting for them to comprehend, or to see that they even could, he stepped forward and made way towards Djose. It wouldn't kill him to wait a bit longer, though there was some anxiety and butterflies having an acrobats-focused circus in his gut. It probably would due to think about what he was going to say to Leblanc, though her reaction to his arrival would change everything.

The four of them walked to the temple and immediately the smell of motor oil, metal, and grease hit his nose when they stepped through the doors. The old smell of incense was no longer as the Al Bhed inhabited it officially as their own. There wasn't much occasion to come to Djose, so though he was aware that the Machine Faction now controlled it, the difference from the image of his mind of what it used to be was quite shocking.

He surveyed his surrounding, clenching his arm, before the team that had lead him in caught his attention.

"Here. Here." They waved at him to come along, and he obeyed, though he would've preferred to go at his own pace.

The Al Bheds led him to the back, constantly turning around and flapping their hands to come, before they made it to a room. All around him, Logos heard the babble of mixed types of conversations in both Spirian, poor and good, and Al Bhed. He swiveled his head to meet the majority of the stares he was getting. He couldn't blame them either; he had no business here. Gippal had little to no interest in spheres from them, though he had bought some from them in the past, so he wasn't there all that often.

Wasn't there something at Djose now though? Logos pinched his eyes shut for a couple of seconds thinking deeply, there was _something._

"Huh? What are _you _doing here?" A high squeak of a voice gasped and girlishly called out to him, "Aren't you supposed to be at the Château Leblanc?"

Now that was a voice he hadn't heard in a while. He sighed himself, not particularly hating her since he had let her in his room, and her two friends, for screening a sphere. Which was his way of trying to call a truce and make a new friend or two, since he was usually terrible at it. But the day hadn't exactly been going well, and her overpowering happiness might sour his mood more. Nonetheless, he turned his feet to meet the cheerful tanned face of Rikku, his lips opening slightly, "Gullwing."

"Oh, I'm not a Gullwing anymore," Rikku said a little bit sadly before perking up, her fists in the air shoulder level and shaking and hopping from one foot to the other, "I help Gippal here at Djose. You know, fixing stuff, and making machines."

"Sounds fortunate for you," Logos looked at the guide though the temple, who was making signals once again at him to come along to a shelf.

"Ah! What happened to your arm?" Rikku squinted her eyes at the dark red seeping down his arm and soaking his already drenched sleeve.

"I was mistaken for a fiend," Logos started walking a little bit, slow, "I was going to have it took care of now."

"Oh!" Rikku raised her hand into the air, a useless gesture since she already had his attention, before bringing her arms in front of her bouncing chest as she hopped a little on her heels, "Let me help!"

"At least you speak Spirian," Logos slurred and pointed himself towards that shelf that the guide was still motioning for him to get over by the shelf.

Rikku piped up from across the room towards the persistent man, her feet running towards the Al Bhed as she spoke, before she finished beside him, "_Ed'c ymm kuut. E kud drec uha. Oui lyh ku pylg yht tu frydajan oui fana tuehk aynmean ugyo? Dryhgc, _Zoko_!_"

Logos shook his head, even in Al Bhed that sounded hyper and spoken quickly. It didn't really matter though, and the Al Bhed guard nodded his head, and left.

"Right here!" Rikku turned around and waved her whole arm at him, "I'll help you out. Just call me nurse Rikku!" She finished jokingly before giggling.

It was enough to get a curl of the lip from him but he didn't laugh as much as she did from it. He drew closer and Rikku pointed to a chair, "Sit down, I'll be right back."

Faster than she could really finish her sentence she was pulling gauze and a bottle from the shelf and coming back with it in hand. Another jump back to the shelf, and she had a cotton ball and forceps.

"Is it still in there?" Rikku asked a little bit more seriously than her usual sunny self.

"…I'm not sure," Logos looked down at his arm before pulling his long loose sleeves up to show his bare upper arm. Entry wound was round, so it wasn't a skim, and there wasn't an exit wound. "Great," He grumbled, "I hate it when it does that."

"I'll be nice." Rikku winked and pulled a square of gauze to clean up his arm.

"No, let me get this much," Logos held out his palm to stop her before he pinched the outside of his wound, biting down the pain with gritted teeth, and squeezed. If the bullet was in shallow enough, he could simply pinch it out at times. It was in deeper than he expected but after a bubble and a thick trickle of blood, the bullet appeared from his flesh. Rikku held the square against his arm and under the wound, catching the blood and the bullet after it plopped out.

"Cool," Rikku laughed lightly, "Way to be a tough guy."

Logos eased his tensed fingers from clutching the chair arm. Rikku hopped to the shelf and brought back a glowing blue bottle.

"Alright!" Rikku gave a quick nod of her head and snipped another square off of the gauze, "Prepare to be healed by nurse Rikku!"

Logos lifted her brows and snorted a bit from his nose. She was such a hyperactive person. He was thankful to her for at least lifting up his mood so that he wouldn't arrive and see Leblanc with a pissed attitude. If there was any hope for this to work, then everything probably had to be just so, he supposed, but what that entailed escaped him. But damn, how he prayed there would be success.

"So what brings you around here?" She opened the bottle, and a few sparkling drops flew with it and glowed against her white arm warmers when they landed against them.

"Business with the Youth League." He lidded his eyes. Should he tell the Gullwing, former or not, about what was going on with the Leblanc Syndicate? Most likely not, and she needn't know about what he was planning on doing to try and win Leblanc's heart either.

"You and Leblanc still talk?" Rikku sprinkled some of the potion on the cloth, the white soaking up the blue and lightening out the color into itself.

"You-you know about that?" Logos lifted his eyes to her face and she smiled weakly, one eye pinching a little, her nose scrunching, and she nodded.

"Yeah, I was really surprised. Like, I can't see the Leblanc Syndicate without her, you know?"

'You know?' Did he ever. That little bit was sugar coating what he felt about it. The thought was nearly imbedded into his blood. The Syndicate certainly hadn't been the same without her, _he _wasn't the same, and the fact that it was still called the Leblanc Syndicate, was a part of the awkwardness of having continuing the business without their wonderful leader.

"Ah! Why isn't it working?" Rikku squeaked and brought the cloth away from the bullet wound. Logos glanced at it, the circle of blood smaller but still there even as she applied the potion.

"What do you have on that cloth?" Logos asked and Rikku replied swiftly, "Just a potion." That was more than enough information. It wasn't a secret in Spira that if one was healed with magic too many times, or if potions were used often on a person, it became less and less effective as time wore on. It was like that with all medicines. That's why where traditional healing would suffice, doctors preferred it. He himself had many healing and potions in his life of a Yevonite alone, not to mention as a sphere hunter. Plain potions were good for aches and scrapes but bigger wounds actually required Hi-Potions, several sometimes, to do anything for him now.

"Does Djose have any Hi-potion?" A bit of silence followed and the expression on the Al Bhed girl's face was enough, "Never mind." Logos shook his hand and his head, "Just wrap it up and it will be fine."

"Alright…" Rikku reached for the gauze roll again and pulled out a long strip, the potion being enough of a cleaning agent to safely wrap it up without fear of infection. Rikku took the time it required to roll out a clean bandage to restart her earlier conversation, "Are you going to see Leblanc?"

"Yes," He looked down at his completely soaked and muddy appearance and actually laughed lightly, "No matter what I look like at the moment."

"Can't really help it can you?" Rikku shrugged her slim shoulders, "Everyone that walks out in that is going to look like you or worse. Why are you walking out there anyways? It's like, raining cats and dogs!"

"Because I really need to get to the Youth League," Logos redirected his eyes to around the room.

"You guys still got it rough don't you?" Rikku's tone dropped to sympathetic.

Logos sighed, "It seems I can't live any other way."

"Yo! Rikku!" A young and middle ranged voice called out to the thief, and before too long, the face belonging to the voice strode through the room, the group of Al Bheds parting for him.

"Gippal!" Rikku closed her eyes in her smiling.

"I need you to- whoa, I know you…" Gippal stopped in front of them and put a hand on his hip, his body slightly leaning off to the side, "You're the guy who helped me out after the battle with Vegnagun. Uhm-" He lifted his one green eye into the air, "Uh…yeah, I don't think I ever caught your name." He brought his hand from his hip and leaned forward, his weight switching from one leg to the other, and he rubbed the back of his interesting hairstyle, "Heh, sorry."

"Logos," The gunner informed before reaching out to the gauze strip in the thief's hand, with every intention to do it himself to make it go faster. Rikku jumped into action and started to press one end of the strip against his arm for him and wrap it around his limb.

Gippal leaned back a little to look at him better, "What happened to you?"

"Accident," He replied shortly and started drumming his fingers against the arm of the chair.

Gippal lifted his brow, "Got somewhere to be?"

"Yes, I do," Logos bent his arm a little, flexing, after Rikku pinned the end to the gauze, testing its tightness.

"Can't you wait a little longer? The storm is getting crazy but it can't last too much longer. Besides, I don't think you want to go wherever you're going looking that bad," Gippal jerked his chin forward.

Logos looked down at his filthy-wet clothes but shrugged, sliding his sleeve back down his thin arm, "Not much I can do about it here."

"We could get someone to wash it for you real quick," Gippal smiled proudly then, "We have invented machines to make it go faster and dry things out too. We'd be glad to test it out more for your sake."

"Sounds very impressive but I don't think I can handle waiting." Logos stood up and felt the little bit of pain in his knees from running into the hover earlier.

Rikku shook her head and lifted her shoulders, her hands up and shrugged a bit. "Why not?"

"Because-" Logos started before slowly letting the words fall into a long breath, "I suppose there isn't a reason."

"So, do you want us to help you out? It won't be that much trouble for us, and it won't take too long." Gippal smiled after a nod, "Alright. I'll go get someone to help you with that."

"Why?" Logos looked at the two particularly friendly Al Bhed, "I barely know you-" Looking at Gippal as he said this, "-And we used to be rivals." Looking at Rikku now, and then to the both if them, "-Why would you?"

"You look like a man on a mission," Gippal shrugged casually again, did nothing bother this man? "And besides, its just…a nice thing to do?"

"Yeah!" Rikku nudged his ribs with her elbow, "Can't you just accept something nice?"

Adding to it, Gippal stood straighter, crossing his arms, "Not to mention you gave me a potion and some bandages after the battle. This is nothing compared to that so just say it's a little bit of something to pay back a debt."

"Alright," Logos accepted it, his skin prickling strangely. He really wasn't used to interacting with people, always having Leblanc to speak for him, and he never really had to put his language skills to use seriously unless he was taunting enemies or completing a deal for Leblanc.

What was that saying? 'You didn't know what you had until it was gone', was it? As great as his grammar was, that was nothing compared to the fact that he was still a natural apprehensive person and often in a more negative disposition. Leblanc helped deal with a lot of that. Particularly, she dealt with people for him that he found he couldn't tolerate easily. He actually _enjoyed _standing in the background, so long as it was her background.

Logos sighed, he would get her back soon. If not…best not think about the if not.

* * *

><p>He watched the loud quaking machine for a while, his clothes supposedly inside getting dried. The leather Al Bhed clothes that the former Gullwing thief had either pilfered or borrowed from someone tall felt odd against his skin. He tapped his foot impatiently for the drying machine to get his clothes done.<p>

If they could find a way to make this thing a bit quieter, than it would be a handy tool for people all over Spira. Right now though, it was loud as a hover going top speed.

"Hey, it's not gonna be done for a while," Rikku dashed into the room carrying an armful of tools for fixing other inventions, since this was some kind of testing room for any invention the Machine Faction created, and she bobbed her head toward the door, "You can go do other things in the meantime, you know."

Logos lifted a brow down at her, thinking in his head, _Oh, and what shall I do here? _Before complying and leaving, since she looked like she was busy and didn't have time to argue.

He strolled about, his arms behind him ,and just watched and observed the working Al Bheds as they ran about. He leaned up against a pillar, his feet crossed out in front of him and his arms folded, when Rikku materialized in all her excited glory.

"Done!" She announced before deciding to start a conversation, being as social and friendly as she was, "Wow, those clothes look weird on you."

"Well, I didn't choose them," Logos spoke out of the corner of his mouth. There probably was more suiting Al Bhed designs for him somewhere but it didn't matter. At the moment, only one thing mattered.

"I know," Rikku said before trying to start a better conversation, "You look excited. Something good going to happen soon?"

"I should hope so."

"Mind telling me what it is?"

"Can I get away with not doing so?" Logos looked down at her from the corner of his eyes, "It's something I'd rather not discuss. "

"Oh," Rikku lowered her eyes to the ground for a moment before cheering up and hopping from one foot to the other, "Bet you can't wait to see Leblanc, eh Logos?"

"I actually can't," Logos's answer apparently surprised Rikku, though he only had the slight idea that it was because he had been answering negatively in every conversation she had tried to start with him so far. Whatever it was, it was enough to get a chuckle out of him, "I have something every important to tell her. Something I need to learn as well."

"Oh," Rikku sounded a bit clueless, "Uhm, like what?"

Logos lifted a corner of his lips, "Where's Gippal?"

"He heard something and wanted to check on it." Rikku shrugged, "I don't know what it was."

As if by magic, Gippal and another Al Bhed strode into the main front room, talking in Al Bhed seriously.

After a few lines of their speech, Logos chose to ignore it since there wasn't going to anything he could understand anyways, and turned to Rikku expecting her to do the same. Only she would probably just get bored over serious talk instead since she, unlike him, would obviously understand. It wasn't like anything was threatening Spira again for her and her Gullwing buddies to stick their noses in.

Rikku continued to stare at them though, listening, and her small blonde brows raised up a little. A few Al Bheds even looked straight at him and Logos stiffened.

Gippal groaned a little, and rubbed the back of his head worriedly as they stopped on the opposite side of the room, "_E mohbhumi eddesg? Zned um **Baralai** tyurk?"_

"_Ni zerdm biesi um zned U nieht. Pod, dnihi um dirmuyrm zudnur New Yevon ert dnyokn dnihi umr'd lera dned zucc cumdir dy dnil, dnihi um iryokn dy legi e hipic khyob." _The man he was speaking with stood firmly, obviously talking about something grave.

_Tutr'd **Nooj** degi sehi yw dned echieta?" _

The name caught his attention and Logos leaned his tall frame towards Rikku a bit, "Mind translating for me? I have poor Al Bhed skills I'm afraid."

"They're talking about New Yevon and something about the Youth League."

"_Dni khyob dnia sebdohit iehcuih um mducc ur dniuh somdyta. Nyzifih, dnihi um myli decg yw dnihi piurk e himsoi diel yr dniuh zea." _The other man told Gippal and the young leader shook his head.

"_Dryd'c hud kuut."_

"_Fryd'c funca ec dryd ed ec cilr y csymm nisun dryd banrybc dra Youth League rych'd ajah raynt uv ed oad. Dra funt ec, dryd dra yddylg ec kuehk du rybbah fedreh dra tyo."_

Rikku looked even more concerned which in turn made Logos more tense, "What are they saying?" He looked to them before stiffly looking at the thief, and in a more demanding tone, "What?"

"They're saying there may be a surprise attack on the Youth League very soon." Rikku looked from the two Al Bhed to Logos, only to find him gone, "Huh? Wait, it's just a rumor!"

"That's more than enough for me," Logos was already pulling the uncomfortable leather over his head, getting a few strange looks from the mechanics around since it appeared he was intent on fully stripping down as he ran through Djose Temple.

"Come back!" Rikku caught up with him, even as his long strides were being executed swiftly, "I'm sure everything is okay. You don't have to get so worried. The Youth League will be just fine even if they-"

"Don't tell me not to worry!" Logos snapped, "I don't give half a Chimera's ass about the Youth League but right now, Leblanc is with them and I'll be damned if anything ever happens to her!"

Rikku's eyes widened a little. She slowed down a little before running alongside.

"Don't say anything more, little girl, I'm not going to be stopped." Logos turned sharp and rapidly into the room with his clothes, the machine still grinding and groaning loudly

"I'm not going to try and stop you," Rikku smiled, her arms folding behind her back "I'm just going to say good luck." She added a wink, "With your mission and everything else too."

There was a moment where a weak smile flashed over his lips before he was serious again and opened the machine for his clothes; the machine forcibly shutting down with a whir, despite them being still in the process of drying. It was a little less than damp, but he couldn't care less, since he was just going to get wet again.

He started to jerk at the belt around his waist before he looked over his shoulder, his brow raising, "Do you mind, Gullwing?"

"Oh!" Rikku's eyes dashed to his hands, her mind comprehending what he was about to do, "Sorry!" She turned and ran back out, considerately closing the door behind her before he stripped out of his pants.

It was back to undressing before she even got away from the door then to be swiftly reassembled in his normal outfit. Leblanc was very well capable of taking care of herself but even excellent warriors were hurt when the element of surprise was on their enemies' side. He should know, he was the one surprising people often in his Yevonite days, specifically the days when he was doing the 'dirty' work, as Ormi so properly labeled it.

He finished by jamming his revolvers back into their holsters, his voice a harsh whisper against the roar of the engines and motors, "I'll be right there, Boss."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Suspense! :O **


	13. What Happens Next?

**A/N: **Yo! You are probably wondering, if this is a LogosxLeblanc fic than why isn't it working out yet? Well, ha ha, my creative titling would tell you that it's too complicated to be solved within the first thirteen chapters ha ha! But, seriously, they're going to get together soon, I'm a bit impatient to wait much longer…****

**Ha! This is also the chapter where I brush up on my action writing again. Oh, this is such good practice for me! I'm so excited.**

* * *

><p>"Chapter 13: What Happens Next?"<p>

* * *

><p>It was like chanting in his head would make it possible. As the Mages speaking the words of the elements, chanting them made them appear, perhaps chanting the same lines over and over again would make it true.<p>

_Please let her be alright. Please let her be alright. Please let her be alright. Please let her be alright._

It was in towards the later half of the night now, and the darkness around him plus the rain only aided the fact that he couldn't see worth fiend waste. If anything more could go wrong then he'd like to of seen it. Taking it back, something more could go wrong and it was best not to tempt fate.

He already knew that sneak attacks would be worse than, of course, if the Youth League was prepared and awaiting it. It always was that way. Even if they won the fight, they wouldn't have been as well off if they had known of the oncoming attack.

And what of Leblanc? She was a wonderful fighter, but she had no experience of having so many enemies surrounding her either, and the Yevon rebels, small as they probably were, wouldn't bother using a small group. A group of fiends, up to thirty, had attacked them before as the Leblanc Syndicate looking for spheres, but she had _him, _and Ormi for that matter, to watch out for her. And though a small technicality, it made all the difference in the world. And there would probably would be so many more rebels than that, or at least if they had any concept of war they would when fighting on the enemy's territory.

Logos chewed a little on the inside of his lip, lightly tasting iron as he did, while his feet pelted the watery mud.

Even with facing Vegnagun, she had them, as much good as they were to her. But, the point was they were there, watching out for her, and caring enough to get hurt for her instead. Now who was doing it?

_Please let her be alright. Please let her be alright. Please let her be alright. Please let her be alright._

It wasn't like the last attack. They had known it was coming. This was unexpected, and would probably catch them off guard. Surely an amount of numbers would be lost. But, pray, that wasn't Leblanc among them.

Why had he stopped in Djose? He should've just kept going. He should've not missed his mark on those damn canines so much and moved on quickly after ending them with a quick squeeze of the trigger. He should've refused any help from the Al Bheds and moved on. He should be there now! Helping her and watching her back! Without him there, would someone take a bullet for her? Or would she end up wounded? Critically? Fatally?

No, she would be fine until he got there. _Then- then- _he repeated reassuring himself in his head. _Then, there would be no more need to worry much_, he would be there. He already was almost there; it wasn't much farther, he was already passing the place where Erie had dropped the Floral Fallal sphere. Soon. It wasn't much longer.

* * *

><p><em>Of course,<em> Leblanc rolled her eyes, _Hacky just had to take Nia again when I finally want someone to talk to! _

The empty sleeping pallet next to her only served as a reminder that Hacky's bed would be particularly warm that night, and Leblanc's was warmed only by herself. She pouted, her lips jutting out, but she refused to mope over it for too long.

It was annoying, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She flipped, her pallet feeling itchy no matter where she laid, and sleep was not coming to her at all. Her mind was still brimming with thoughts that she wished she could just zap with a spell and find some peace. Bits of memories played in her head as she tried in vain not to think about it. But the more she tried not to, the more it came and clearer.

Of course he was attached to her. That much was obvious. His voice that she had come to know apart from all others echoed in her head in little pieces of her memory. Nothing specific, but his nasally voice was still wafting clear as a bell into her mind, embedding itself into her cranium. She just couldn't get it to go away. It drowned out any thoughts she would've had of Nooj.

It was like she was searching. And it didn't take long for her to decide what her mind was desperately trying to find. It was a sign, any little bit of warning that she should've seen about how he apparently felt about her.

"_Yes Boss! -Boss?- Hrm…- Oi!- Indeed, following them has paid off splendidly- We're no match for that sort of opponent!- Boss, please…-Wait!- Sorry, Boss…-Perhaps next time Boss?- Of course, Boss- Did you happen to hear anything about…?- For the love of Lady Luck!- _

There didn't seem to be any sign at all. At least, not one that would differ from any other goon, that was attached to her. She screwed her eyes tighter and tried to dive deeper.

He had been there for many things, and he always was very up to doing anything for her. But that was no different from Ormi. How was she to know that he actually-

This had to be a joke. It must've just been a little bit of revenge for leaving so suddenly and shrugging off all the responsibility onto him whether he liked it or not. But then again, if revenge was on Logos's mind, he'd probably go about it a different way. As intelligent as he was, whatever warranted revenge came in the form of a hot bullet, or ruining someone's life. This didn't seem like the type of revenge he'd seek if he wanted it. So that was out of the question.

But maybe it still was some kind of joke. He just wanted to test her, and see what he could get away with. No, that didn't seem quite right either…

There must've been some sign, somewhere! It wasn't like she was that dense, was she?

Leblanc blew air out through her tightly clenched lips, making a sort of childish bubbly sound to express her aggravation. Though no one was near, and surely not listening in, she found herself even more irritated that she accidentally made that noise at all.

_It's all Logos's fault. He picked a perfect time to tell me, didn't he? _Leblanc looked upward from the edge of the blanket that she pulled up to her cheeks. The sound of rain pelting the tent was loud and distinct in the silence of her pouting.

She let out a sigh and slowly, her body and facial expression relaxed. There was no sense in thinking on it much anymore. She'd only get wrinkles if she got to troubled over it for too long. There probably were signs, but she missed them entirely because she was occupied with Nooj. Another sigh, and after swallowing a bit of a guilty feeling, she rolled onto her side.

She closed her eyes, ready for sleep, as lonely and cold as it was going to be in the pallet by herself. Of course, even with battling with the interruption of Logos's image and voice, being so close to Nooj, closer than ever, made her wish that _someone _occupied the space with her even then. Sleep would be forgotten and something more interesting would take its place.

It wasn't going to happen tonight though. She closed her eyes, resigning for sleep finally.

A shrill ringing shot her out of the pallet, and with the blanket over her bent knees, she shrieked, "What the Hell is that?"

A gunshot fired and she gasped, comprehending immediately what was happening.

* * *

><p>Elma, soaking wet and her long black hair hanging in clumps against her face, suddenly rushed into the main tent, huffing, "Meyvn Nooj!"<p>

Nooj stood upright immediately, his expression somewhat startled as she stopped in front of him from the table that he was doing late night work and plans on.

"Meyvn Nooj," She repeated, her breath coming somewhat short as she pressed the side of her fist into her collar bone. Nooj mentally skimmed the list of guards that had been posted on the opposite side of the main tent. Elma had been with Commander Lucil, as always of course, and they were posted around the cliffs above the entrance of the ravine for the midnight watch. Why did Elma run all the way from there to here, so fast that she was breathless?

"There has been sightings of rebel scouts. Commander Lucil and Yaibal are engaged with them as we speak. There maybe more-"

Just as Elma was about to finish her sentence, Ruckus rushed into the tent dripping, "Sir, the rebels are trying to break through the perimeter from behind!"

Outside, a array of bullets suddenly started to fire. Nooj, stiff muscled, swung his arm outwards and limped toward the opening of the main tent greatly leaning into his cane as he hurried, shouting orders as he went, "Do not let them through! Sound the alarm immediately!"

The alarms was a high shrill before Nooj made it to the tent way. Youth Leaguers scrambled for arms, or to crack the nearest rebels heads, and Leblanc, among the rushing, could already see that among the throngs of running Leaguers and the slant of rain, were the hand-me down and surplus armored rebels that had indeed broken through.

Lucil charged from the elevator as soon as it made its way up and, her sword already drawn, slashed at the unlucky brutes in her way. Behind her, Yaibal gave a battle cry and took up a trained stance readying himself for the first Yevonite to run his way, his forearm poised out in front of him and his sword at his side.

A form moving swung Leblanc's head around and she instinctively brought up her arm up, holding a fan that she didn't have anymore to block the attack. She had enough time to cuss at her error just as the intruder thrust his arm forward to stab her in the throat with his bayonet.

"Leblanc!" Hacky hooked his arms around the rebel's neck, rain nearly blinding him as he looked windward, and with no gun or sword in his hand as he had yet to seize a weapon for himself. The rebel grunted before growling viciously and maneuvering his arm around to slice at Hacky's face behind his own head.

Nia screeched, and pulled a dagger from her belt with a ringing _shing! _of the blade against the sheath. There was a wet squelch and the rebel gasped before spitting up dark splattering liquid into Nia's shoulder that was jammed into his armored chest. Nia's hands below the rebel's steel gorget twisted another time, sending a line of blood between them as she gripped the handle of her dagger that was buried into the bottom of the intruder's chin.

Leblanc let out pent-up air as the rebel fell, "Thank you loves."

"Don't mention it," Hacky gladly accepted the twin knifes that Nia yanked from the under her long loose leather outer vest with a quick swish of his hands to catch them.

Two more fresh rebels with blood on their weapons launched themselves in their direction and Leblanc pulled the sword from her side and held it defensively in front of her.

The first guard caught the end of her blade with his gut, the space between armor and waist line receiving the point, and he gave a curdling cry before falling off to the side. He gripped his stomach, the wound deep but not fatal, and he worked to rise to his knees.

Leblanc flicked the blade clean of his blood before holding it above her head.

Metal, a good conductor of electricity and all she needed. Of course it was more ideal for something that was enchanted before-hand, but steel was steel and iron was iron. Both metal, and that was all she needed.

"Thundaga!" She slashed the air and there was a crack that opened up the air, causing it to grow bright and sharp to come down upon the rebel's body.

He screamed again before falling back. His helmet loosened and dropped off of his head as his skull crashed into the ground. It should've ended there. Leblanc should've turned and left him on the ground to whatever fate was left for him, but her eyes saw the bit of smooth face and short black hair before she could take off.

Staring at him for a few seconds caused her to bite her bottom lip. He might've been as old as Taji and Daji, at least. Leblanc knew that she probably shouldn't be pitying him, not in the middle of a fight with him and his comrades, but all the same, she did.

"Oohh," She groaned through pursed lips, almost hating herself for being so weak-hearted to an enemy, and in the back of her head thinking that Nooj wouldn't be so towards an attacker of his Headquarters. But, the boy was still pitiful, moaning on the ground and crying.

She let out a large sigh before snapping, "Hush up, love."

He didn't seem to hear her, or he probably didn't care. All the same, she threw him a potion from her pouch, before she threw herself into another fight, her regret gone. A wound was still spreading along his torso, though at a slower rate, and the electricity still buzzed around his arms, so Leblanc was no longer concerned about the boy being a threat or dying.

No such incidents happened in the next two fights, Leblanc scrapping by and spelling them to unthinking and absolutely shocked soldiers, twitching with the electricity in their veins.

She heard clicks, the sounds of guns being lifted, and she spun around to face four gun points in her direction. She lifted her sword, chanting as fast as she could, but she could already see the line start to squeeze, and she could see that she could not run away from it in time.

She was about to dive straight to the ground, hoping that they wouldn't anticipate it and shoot her in the back, when a giant roar jostled Leblanc to reflexively jump back before she made the move. Ruckus crashed through the line of rebels bare-fisted, his knuckles cracking into the exposed nose of a rebel, and his elbow made contact between the eyes of a second.

"Rahh!" He screamed madly, his eyes were fierce and wide as he tightly gripped the shoulders of a third rebel and slammed his knee into his light armored diaphragm before he picked him up and hurled him into his partners. They all, like dominos, fell into the mud before Ruckus jumped over them to attack more intruders.

Leblanc took steps back, looking around and watching for anyone that would try and attack her again. She couldn't let her guard down for a second, but she vaguely acknowledged the fact that Ruckus may have just helped her without meaning to.

Intruders were everywhere, and after zapping another average solider, she saw that The Headquarters was being overrun by them. But, where had they all come from? All of the rebels from before were in custody here. It must've been a rescue mission then that had brought cause for the swarm to break through.

Nooj must've already known that because there he was, on the platform in front of the cells, the only solid building on the Headquarters along the back. Leblanc could see the creases of his serious face, his handsome features emphasized by the water trailing down in runlets against his skin. Leblanc saw the dim light dancing off of his mechanical arm, and the arm raised with a handgun clenched in his fingers, as Nooj defended the opening with Yaibal, Lucil, and Elma.

It was beautiful.

She spun on her heel and pulled the sword between her and another, a bearded and hulky solider, catching her senses just in time to hear him coming from behind. There was a flower of orange sparks when the end of her sword struck his metal chest plate and the force skimmed it across the round surface and jerked Leblanc's unaccustomed hands with it.

A leather gloved hand grasped her throat and she gave a little shriek when the fingers tightened painfully into the flesh of her neck and pushed her back hard. She landed flat out on her back with a splash of muddy water, the trampling feet around her narrowly missing her many times.

She raised the sword hurriedly to block the bayonet.

The finger on the trigger tightened and Leblanc gasped, her eyes growing wide at the gaping muzzle of the rifle in her face, the bayonet point pushing against the sword and keeping it still, trapping her between her own arms and the ground.

There was a sudden scorching pain in the side of her arm and she turned into it, gripping it with her thin fingers, as the bloom of mud settled back onto the ground.

Vakida swung back the wrench in her hand and soared towards the bulky man again, the frizzy hair flying behind her like a tousled tail of wolf, and her mouth open to reveal her clenched teeth past the scars on the corner of her lips.

Leblanc, one eye closed against the burning in her arm, kicked her leg out and caught the guard in the back of the knees, effectively tripping him. As soon as his back fell against the wet muck, she lifted her foot and gave him the 'heel' in the temple as hard as she could. His eyes drooped closed after a bleary stare upwards, and his head bobbed to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Vakida's voice asked clearly even as the roar of battle and rain tried to blot it out.

"I'm fine love, thank you for helping," Leblanc forced herself up, clutching her arm. She had never been shot before and the stinging fire was an unfamiliar wound that she would have to learn to endure. It wasn't in a critical spot, she rationalized, so she could bear it. But the way it seared its way around her arm and her torso whenever she dared move it was enough to make her subconsciously wonder if she could.

The wrench was tightly closed in Vakida's dark hands before she pulled it over her shoulder and swung it back. The tool sailed from the shop woman' s hand, spinning, and whacked into the helmet of a guard standing over Lyra.

"Leblanc!" Lyra, her brows curved upwards, rushed desperately towards her before her feet was even really underneath her body. Lyra near slipped and fell many times but was too filled with fear, the emotion spilling from her eyes and face, to notice it at all. Nothing stopped her from flinging herself frantically into Leblanc's body as soon as the newest member of the Youth League got to her own feet. Leblanc was barely able to keep from toppling back over with the pain that shot through her from the impact of the crash of their two bodies, but she managed.

"What is it?" Leblanc felt her face twitch, and there was a red splotch growing on her upper arm on the right side. A tear through her tight fitting leather arm showed the shiny liquid dripping down her arm as the rain pelted into it.

"I can't find Dimitri or Braco!" Lyra desperately shook her head, her eyes large with fright and more water, not from the rain's doing, pooling in her eyes that showed through the soaked violet strands that fell into her face. She gripped Leblanc's shoulders, causing the latter to wince at the ache that whined from her arm again. She willed it to stop its sniveling and she gave all her attention to the seventeen year old who cried, "Have you seen them anywhere?"

"I haven't!" Leblanc yelled over the tremor of thunder that erupted over the road from the storm. She shook her head so Lyra would understand.

"Auntie Lyra!" A voice hoarsely cried over the battle-cries from warriors of both sides.

"Dimitri! Braco!" She was wildly turning, searching, and Leblanc grabbed her shoulder to still her.

"Calm down, love." She scanned the crowd and found a huddle of uniformed children against the supply crates stacked by the mess hall. A brown bowl cut haired one with thick glasses among them. However, she did not see the bright blue-green hair that belonged to Dimitri.

Lyra flew towards them and picked up on the missing child instantly, "Braco! Where is your cousin?"

"I don't know!" Braco was near hysterical as his aunt, "He went looking for you!"

She lifted her head and again was swinging around and around again, trying to find in the crazy throng of fighting men and women, any sign of a child, "Dimitri! Dimitri!"

Leblanc scanned the moving bodies again but couldn't spot the boy.

"DIMITRI!" Lyra's voice rose to a high pitch and tears streamed down her face.

"Lyra," Leblanc grabbed her shoulders again and forcibly dragged her down to a crouch, bodies falling and lunging all around, "You have to stay here-."

"No, no, I can't! I h-have to find Dimtiri-" Lyra shook her head, near crazy, and becoming breathless, "I-I-"

"Love, listen to me," Leblanc shook her shoulders to grab her attention, "You must protect Braco and the other children. I **will **find Dimitri. Do you understand?"

"D-Dimitri," Her eyes wide and unfocused gradually became stilled from rolling around in her sockets, though she was still crazy with fear of losing the boy. Braco, ever the more perceptive one on people's emotions, pressed himself into Lyra's arm, comforting. Lyra stilled a bit more, though she still shook. She looked at Leblanc fully, her brows curved upwards, "Please, f-find him."

"I will, love," Leblanc promised, her feet already running back out into the battle.

Chaos. Leblanc had to dodge every couple of steps, always had to watch all around her, always became targeted because of the Mage uniform she wore. It should've figured. Most fighters would agree that it was wiser to take out the magic users first, it was almost a first rule of war. And the Yevonites, damn them, was well aware of it.

A Youth Leaguer screamed before falling flat onto his back, sliding in the slickness of the mud, and gripped his lower stomach with bloody hands. Leblanc jumped over the body and turned on her heel to face the Yevonite standing near him.

Meeting eye contact and locking onto the stare, she lifted the sword, spun it twice over her head, and latched onto the slices of wind from the sharp edge with her magic, making it grow, and become even sharper. She stopped, braced herself against the wet ground, and sucked in a gulp of breath.

"Hyuh!" She gave a little kick of her foot, launching blades of air over the ground, and kicked up water and more muck with it in process. It hit straight into the unsuspecting Yevonite's chest armor, and his knees flew out from under him.

Leblanc bent over the Youth Leaguer that had fell in her way and asked over the pitch of noise around her, "Are you alright?"

No answer. She put her hand on his chest and shook, hard, yelling again, "Are you alright!"

A shuddering breath, and Leblanc furrowed her brows. He did not look good, whoever it was, but there was still another matter to deal with. Dimitri couldn't possibly be able to handle himself in this madness.

A roar grew louder from behind her and she spun her head around, her sword clenched in her hand, readying herself for any blow to come. A Yevonite had a bayonet pointed towards her throat and was charging.

"Haaaa-!" A flash of blue-green jumped into her vision, nearly consuming it, before a skinny child crashed his forehead into the open chin of the Yevonite guardsman. Dimitri landed from the leap he took and immediately hopped high again to crack another head-butt into the soldier's face.

"Dimitri no!" Leblanc barely got her warning out before the side of the hard metal rifle smashed into Dimitri's face. His lean frame went flying with the force, to hit the ground in a spinning bounce, before landing and sliding in the puddles, twisted.

"Why you-!" Leblanc stood up, her fingers clenched so tightly around the hilt that her finger nails bit into her palm, "-Y-you will pay for that!"

An arc of silver marked the swing of the bayonet towards her. She reached out and stopped it, her palm spurting out in blood, and the guard letting out a gasp from shock.

"Surprised?" Leblanc raggedly growled, "Well, love, you shouldn't take-" She grit her teeth and jerked forward, doing as Dimitri had done and crashed her head into the soldier's chin, "-Your opponents-" She jumped again, a clear crack, "-Lightly! You never know-" She drew her fist up, the other hand still clenching the bayonet tightly , "-Just what they're made of!"

Blood flowed dark and thickly from the Yevonite's nose, and mouth, some of his teeth missing, but Leblanc was far from over.

* * *

><p>A sniper peered through his scope, scanning over the battlefield as the Youth Leaguers fought for their home and base, barely able to tell in the rain, darkness, and mix of uniforms who was what and which of the sides had the upper hand.<p>

"Wait," Another sniper, stationed facing the ravine mouth and watching for any retaliations from behind, stiffened, "What the Hell is that?"

"Give me some peepers," The commander, the man in charge of this sudden rescue mission, flicked his fingers at a solider wearing rust-colored binoculars around his neck on a cord, and the latter complied to the demand. The leader closed his hands around either side and brought it above his hook nose, gruffly speaking to the sniper, "Where?"

"I lost it, no I got it again." The sniper squinted, "It looks like someone is out there."

"Youth League or one of our own?" The commander adjusted his vision to the dozen men waiting by the bend in the road, waiting to stop anyone that dare run for their lives, and to kill them before they escaped, eliminating the Youth League once and for all. Nothing seemed out of place, except perhaps the fact that the men were peering off into the bleakness of the rain as well as into the direction of the road mouth.

"I'm not sure, sir," The young sniper shook his head, blinking water out of his eyes before bringing his eyeball back to the scope, "Whoever it is, they're not wearing the uniform of the Youth League or us. And, sir, it seems like it's getting…chased?"

The commander brought his binoculars down abruptly, his green eyes widening and focusing on the body of the youth sniper laying out on the ground with his gun, "By what?"

"I don't know, sir," The sniper looked again, "But it looks like a lot of it."

Shouting and swinging his jacketed arm, the command ordered to the other idle men, "Find out now! And if it is not one of our own, Youth League or not, kill 'im. They're won't be anyone running back for reinforcements from Djose tonight!"

"Sir!" The young man piped out again, interrupting the sound of obliging feet to the leader's order..

"Good Yevon what?" The commander snapped before lifting a brow as the sniper turned from his gun, slowly, and looked up at him.

"What kind of man attracts four different types of fiends at once?" The sniper asked.

* * *

><p>"Howorrrrrooooooo!" A coyote threw back it's head and with an 'O' of his snout, cried up towards the rain streaked sky. Its mud-spattered paws crashed into more pools of liquid mud, intent on catching the lean thing that passed by its packs den so suddenly and disrupted their weather-induced hibernation.<p>

"I don't have time for this!" Logos skirted off to the side of a couple of the rounded rocks, cursing his luck with the canine kind. "I hate dogs!"

A coyote gained on him and leaped for his back, while his feet stopped, sliding, and bent forward for the nasty beast to crash over his head and into the cliff side.

Elements darted through the sky, swooping down to touch him with their malicious magic. He side-stepped, letting them and their stony bodies fly past him. He turned his head to look behind him, the forms of the fiends recovering and chasing him again zooming into his line of vision.

He swiveled his head just in time to see a smooth shape inches away from his nose, before crashing straight into it. He was bumped back away from it, the shape moving now, and huge, before falling onto his back. A coyote about to bite down in his shoulder, lowered its ears, cowering for a moment before darting away tail between its legs.

Logos looked up through his narrow eyes to see an Ochu stretch its arms, waking fitfully up, and then shake the earth with its massive feet as it turned.

The coyotes returned, mad still and pointlessly violent towards him, and got ready to bite into any part of him that they could get their teeth around. The Ochu awakened fully, displeased, and started to swing into the ground, slicing the muddy ground and bringing up huge amounts of dark wet earth.

Logos rolled, his arms around his face in case the Ochu slashed into him, and then smoothly jumped up to his feet and took off from them again. In the gloom of the rain, he barely noticed himself run flat into a Bully Cap and trample it either. It took out his knees from under him, its 'head' rearing back, and he flew over it to slide face first in the mud. He stumbled a moment, trying to get his feet under him, before continuing on and away from the steaming mouth of the plant-type fiend.

The Ochu was reaching out for him, but he was too far away by the time it got to his spot. The coyotes were jumping over the Bully Cap now, the latter biting at a few of their paws as they leaped over, obviously mad at them for bothering it too.

The Ochu was angry, roaring, and slashed at anything, fiend or gunner, that got to close to it for waking it up and getting it involved in their affairs.

With mouth slightly opened to show his clenched teeth, a hand on top of his head to keep it still, and the other clutching his revolver faithfully, Logos ran deeper into the gloom not quite sure past instinct where his feet were taking him. He hadn't thought about the fiends that were going to chase him as he carelessly ran without thinking through the night, and now he was paying for it as he only attracted more beasts with his mad flight.

"Who goes there?" A rough military voice called out from the darkness.

"Oh, good!" Logos sprinted to the dull armor-hulking shapes that he could make out through the rain and pushed through them, they looking confused at his fleeing back, "Do take care of that for me!"

"W-what?" The solider that had asked the question turned back in time to scream at a pissed broken-nosed coyote hurling itself towards his face, the front claws paws extended and ripping into his exposed flesh.

Logos ignored their cries, and the roars and calls of the fiends he left to them, and climbed through the rushing water that was falling off the rounded rocks and made his way towards the Youth League, now overflowing with noise and the sound of warring weaponry.

His breath was hitching, but he still ran through the pushing rain, fearing the worst.

* * *

><p>Leblanc raised a palm into the air, breathlessly reciting the incantation that punished anyone who crossed her. Sparks danced from fingertip to fingertip, her eyes bursting into electrified yellow light, and her teeth smashed down on the last syllables of the spell. "THUNDAGA!"<p>

A boom and sputtering crackles from the shock jumped over the rain drops and over the helmeted head of the solider, the metal catching the full blow of her attack.

He gagged on his bubbling blood in his throat and the numbness eating up his nerves before Leblanc grabbed the front of his collar that peeked out from his armor, "Now beg on your knees for mercy, love!"

"Ack, ack!" The solider tried to get his swollen tongue to work, before struggling against the pull around his collar.

"On your knees despicable Rat!" Leblanc pushed him away, her amazing strength once again catching this one off guard. He straightened himself, his fists balling and his muscles tensing, before he jerked a shoulder to move.

"You heard what I said!" Leblanc slashed out with the short sword, coming across the man's knees cleanly. She wasn't one for killing, but causing quite a bit of pain when pissing her off was not above her.

He fell to his knees, nearly crying his voice-box hoarse, and bent over them.

"Now beg for mercy from the great Leblanc!" She raised her sword, "Beg for your life."

She never killed anyone before, but she was convincing when she threatened and brandished her weapon, which essentially was all that mattered when making someone beg.

He lifted his face, defeat written all across it, before a crooked smile slowly wiggled its way over his lips. Leblanc nearly batted it right off with the side of her blade when a squish of mud directly behind her made her spin around and swing in that direction.

A crash against the chest armor and Leblanc went with the force, refusing to let go of the sword this time, and she avoided a crashing crate in this way. She flipped to regain her feet that was already flying too far back before she'd fall, and looked up in her bright brown eyed stare.

Another bulky solider was readying his gun point in her direction. A whistling whipping sound flew over her head and she instinctively ducked to dodge anything from striking her. A metal crow bar spun into the helmet and knocked the solider into stumbling backwards.

"Take that!" Hacky cackled and lifted the metal pipe in his hands like a stick-ball player, "Now Braco, watch this. I will show you that I am no liar!"

He lurched forward, his feet carrying him across the short muddy distance, and he swung with all his might into the knee-bleeding rat's temple, caught the bounce off of it and turned around completely to crash the end of his 'bat' into the ribs of the other. He pulled back, carrying all the power from before, and then flew forward and shoved the energy into the thick soldier's stubbly chin.

A razor rung through the air next, slicing a nick of Hakcy's brown hair, before it landed true in another rebel's eye. Nia jumped from the pile of crates like a pirate, holding onto a rope from a crane, and crashed her small legs into the bellies of two standing beside each other. She went to the bleeding eyed solider and mercilessly ripped her razor our before cutting his cries of with another slice to his throat.

Leblanc bent her head under the action and crouched-walked toward the thin body laying in the cold water splattered ground.

"Dimitri!" Leblanc lifted his shoulders into her hands, "Dimitri!"

His blurry brown eyes opened, slowly, "Mama?"

"I'm not your mother, love," Leblanc noticed the gash running along the side of his face, from his hair line down to the corner of his lip, "You'll be just fine, Dimtiri."

"Mama, my head hurts." He buried his body closer into her, "I don't know-I don't know what happened."

"Dimitri, you've been hit by a rebel." Leblanc shook him lightly, his eyes shaking and staring up at the rain almost blankly, barely comprehending, "Dimitri look at me."

A body pressed into her shoulder, and Braco immediately bawled, "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing love," Leblanc assured before catching Dimitri's eyes, "Dimitri, do you want to go to Lyra?"

"Auntie?" He croaked, "S-sure."

Leblanc shot her head up and turned it side to side rapidly to find the purple haired woman, "Lyra!"

She wasn't far to begin with, only fending Braco's back from a Defender, and she turned after cutting him down, "Is Dimitri alright?" She was still nearly crazy with the worry, "I can't live if he's hurt."

"I know love, he's just got a horrible hit to the head, but he's alive. Dimitri? Go with Lyra, love." Leblanc looked down at the head cradled in her arms.

"Mama, I want to stay with you." Dimitri blearily looked into her face and with a weak band ringed hand grabbed her wrist.

"Lyra!" Yaibal swerved around other duels and made it to her side, his face nearly flushing instantly when coming into the close proximity of her, "I-is there anything I can do?"

"Fight!" Nooj limped toward them, soaking wet and the smell of battle radiating from him in a masculine aura, and turned to face the outside of the circle they were forming. Hacky and Nia turned their backs to Leblanc and Dimitri as well, they being the center of circle. Braco huddled closer towards his cousin, who started to sit back, though his head was flopping around on his strength-less neck.

Leblanc caught her breath in her throat and stared straight into Nooj's eyes as he looked over his broad shoulder at her. Leblanc couldn't blink the rain out of her eyes, nor move as he held her in place with his stare.

"Is the boy alright?"

"Y-yes, love," Leblanc looked down at Dimitri, who was mumbling something to his mother, now her, and nodded, "He is a little disorientated though."

Lyra looked over her shoulder, the long strands of her hair sliding over her back, "Dimitri…" She said slowly.

"Braco, stay with your cousin," Leblanc gently laid Dimitri back against the wet ground again, whispering lightly, "Stay here, love."

"Mama, are you going to come get me when you get back?"

"Yes, love, I will." Leblanc brushed his hair away from his wound and smiled, "Be still."

"Can I sleep? I'm tired."

"Stay awake," Leblanc brushed the rest of his wet hair from his peachy skinned face, "Don't fall asleep."

"Mama?"

"What, love?"

"I love you. And I love Auntie Lyra too, even when she's mean."

Leblanc smiled and swiveled her head towards Lyra, who was painfully smiling through tear-bleared eyes.

"I'm sure she knows love, be still."

She stood and picked the heavy short sword from the ground, a rumble of thunder after a spear of lightning was like the opening of a curtain and the rungs that held it to the stage shuffling and the lights flashing gradually as they were pulled back to the opening scene.

She was going to fight alongside Nooj again, and she felt incredible from the thought.

Strength renewed, she tilted her hips, "Let's go, loves!"

* * *

><p>Logos crossed his arms, his revolvers clutched into his hands, and caught the bayonet in the groove of the 'X' his gun barrels made. His lean arms shook with the effort of holding it back before he tossed the weight to the side and bypassed the flailing solider.<p>

He crossed his arm over his body and pulled the trigger, a flash of white signaled a boom and a spurt of red from the guardsman's ribs.

Before the soldier's scream died into the ravine, Logos lifted his arm and fired again.

"Who the Hell is he?" The commander leaned down from the cliff and growled, "He's not a Youth Leaguer is he?"

"I'm not sure, sir!" The sniper buried himself deeper into his damp hood that protected him from the earlier onslaught of rain, now slowing down considerably, "Should I take action, sir?"

"Snipe him," The commander crossed his arms and smiled cruelly, "It doesn't matter who he is. If he is fighting against Yevon, then he should be stopped."

"S-sir?" The youth's eyes widened and he leaned away from the scope.

"What's wrong with you?" The leader crinkled his hooked nose and lifted a corner of his thin crooked lips in a snarl, "Speak up!"

"H-he can see us!" The young sniper crawled away backwards on his knees, his head ducked low into his shoulders, "Sir!"

"Impossible!" The commander snapped with his face pulled up sharply, "We are hundreds of feet away, it's early morning at best, and in this rain, he couldn't see anything anyways!" He turned around and brought the binoculars from around his neck back to his eyes. He scanned the landscape before finding a blurry blue body standing on a ridge. It took a moment to adjust before he could make out the slick revolver crossed over the man's forearm, aiming towards his sight with dramatic shadows, the only light being what was leftover and floating from the Youth League, dancing behind him.

"What the-?" The leader's eyes widened when the gunman didn't seem to move his aim away to anyone near him, and it took only a moment to realize that there wasn't anyone near him.

_**Blam! Blam! Blam! **_

"S-Sir?" The youth shook against the cliff as he pushed his back flat into it.

He fell back, a round red spot into his forehead, another in his collarbone, and another in his chest. His eyes still wide in surprise.

"Oh," Logos tsked, a distance away on the ridge that the commander had previously been peering at through the binoculars, before spitting lightly from the side of his mouth, "I missed his throat."

"Holy s-shi-" The youth squeaked after another clear _**Blam! **_and his sniper companion jolted and went still.

Logos scanned the line where he could see the dark forms against the slanting rain. There didn't appear to be anymore. It was a good thing he had been to the Youth League many times, and in with use of the training he had in Yevon, noted where all the guards were posted, even the more 'hidden' ones. The cliff wasn't one of the places they used, so it did strike him as odd that anything was moving up there.

It was also a good thing the rain was letting up, just enough, for his eyes to see. And instead of blackness, the world was being slowly bathed with grayish light, signaling the sun behind the clouds were ever slightly breaking through. It was just reaching dawn behind the storm, and the light was a great help, though there wasn't quite enough to do anyone a bit of good yet. Especially to those who he was fighting and of course in the darkness of the ravine, the sun mattered little.

When he had adjusted his vision up there to the cliff before, he could see two forms crouched on the ground, and one standing, but he could no longer see the second crouching one now. Whoever he was probably ran off. It wouldn't have been the first time. And probably wise on their part.

_Shwup! _Logos bent over and covered his head as a silver line slashed the air and exploded into the ravine wall behind him. He lifted his head up cautiously and peered back into the cliff side. There was the second one.

He lifted his gun to his sight again and narrowed his eyes, "Goodbye," He managed thickly before squeezing the last bullet in the revolver of his hand. It zoomed before a shadowy arc shot up from the far away silhouettes head and the body fell back.

"Phoo-" He dramatically blew at the smoke from the end of his gun before spinning it on his fingers and shoving it back into the holsters still strapped behind him. He looked back up into the sky where above, the Youth League was battling, though the sounds were becoming dimmer and dimmer.

"Leblanc."

* * *

><p>"Lyra!" Yaibal dove in front of her and caught the end of a steel blade with his own. His shoulders shook before he jerked his feet forward, pushing, and the rebel pushed back, his shoulders broader and sturdier than Yaibal's.<p>

Lyra darted around Yaibal and drew up her sword to slash into the Yevonite's neck. More blood splashed into the mud and mixed. By now, the ground was a more ruddy color than it usually was with the clay, and it only continued more as the last of the intruders were brought down to the ground.

The flat side of a bayonet smacked into Lyra's face and she spun on her toes, her arms out in front of her, and she crashed into Yaibal's chest as he caught her.

A boom signaled the demise of the one that had struck her, and Nooj quickly turned to shoot down more.

Yaibal caught a quick nervous laugh in his throat, his arms still wrapped behind Lyra's shoulders. She lifted her wet head towards him, rain sliding down her cheeks, and her violet hair dark as it stuck to her skin. He lifted his shoulders a bit, his face feeling warmer. Yaibal, unable to come with anything to say, laughed a little again.

Lyra managed a few more similar syllables of sound before Hacky swatted the back of Yaibal's head, interrupting the moment they were having with a, "You guys can smooch later, there's a fight going on!"

The words were enough to bring Yaibal's hands straight back to himself from Lyra's body and he laughed nervously again, Lyra doing just about the same.

Leblanc leaped in front of them before swinging out a charged sword, lightning dashing from drop to drop of rain, zigzagging, before landing in the belly of a rebel. She then spun around and swung again, a wave of wind flying over the ground and into a group of rebels battling with Nia, Lucil, and Nooj.

Elma patted her back, and Leblanc nearly attacked her for it, being so wound up in this fight, but stopped herself in the last moment when seeing the familiar ally's face luckily.

"Good job!" Elma congratulated in her peppy voice she had, "Say, you're not doing half-bad, are ya?"

"Half-bad?" Leblanc laughed, "Ha! I'm doing wonderful, love."

She could barely even feel the gash in her arm from the bullet wound through her excitement and adrenaline rush. She also saw out of the corner of her eyes that Braco and Dimitri were by the crates, watching over them with wide eyes as the men and women they knew to give treats and to tell them stories of their fights were finally doing it for real.

Dimitri must've gained his senses, at least a little, because he was a little more clear-eyed and was sitting up on his own to look over the crate's edge. That was good, and Leblanc felt even more pumped with energy and elated from the imminent defeat of the enemies of Nooj and the Youth League.

The Yevonites were falling, and the cell building's door was still intact, though a few marks marred it from where they had tried to break through its lock. Leblanc swung again, lightning moving from her blade.

She was feeling incredible. She could once again show Nooj that she was useful, strong, capable. And he, who was a warrior and clearly respected those with skills, would be bound to notice one more aspect of her. And perhaps, Leblanc smiled, he would fall in love with her too.

Elma's voice suddenly broke through the air, "Leblanc, look out!"

Hacky's back crashed into a revolving crane arm, the bar of the crane jumping away from the impact. Leblanc managed a gasp before it smashed into her torso, knocking the breath out of her. She felt her feet knock out from under her, but could do nothing as there was nothing to stop her from falling out into open air.

Nooj, too far away, reached out his hand towards her, "LEBLANC!"

* * *

><p>"<em>LEBLANC!" <em>

To the sound of the name, Logos looked up, his eyes glad that the rain wasn't coming down near as hard as it was before. A shadow slanted over his face before he could make out quite what it was. Then, he saw it. The golden spiky hair that could only belong to one other person in all of Spira.

"Boss!" He stretched out his hands, the revolvers from his hands falling to the mud with a splash on either side of him, as he waited for her to come down into his arms.

To the sound of his voice, Leblanc only had enough time to barely think, _Logos? _Before it was time for contact.

Leblanc landed wrong, and instead of falling sideways to be caught like a proper woman, she fell gut-first into his shoulder hard.

His arms wrapped around what part of her body he could grab anyways, that being the lower part mostly, before the force of her arm crashing into his neck caught up with him. He gagged before falling breathlessly back himself, the wind knocked completely from him.

Being that Leblanc's belly had caught his shoulder, and the crane before, she was in a similar state as he when they both hit the ground.

"B-ah-boss?" Logos coughed, his breath barely returned to him but he wanted to confirm things so badly, "Ah-r you all ah-ight?"

Leblanc took in a huge painful gasp. Most of the good feelings gone from earlier, and the fact that she landed on her right arm, her wound screamed fiery pain. She clutched it, doubling over on the ground, and wheezed hard to get her breathing back to normal.

"B-boss?" He sat up, his breath back, his eyes widening at her pain-stricken face, "What happened? Let me see it!"

She swatted at his grabbing hands, not wanting the wound to be touched at all, before screaming, "Leave it!"

"Leblanc!" Hacky's lean head appeared over the edge above, "I'm so sorry, are you down there okay?"

"Hey! It's gun-guy too, what's his name?" Nia's head was right beside Hacky's shoulder as she peeked over the cliff as well, followed by Elma, then Nooj, then about everyone else too, Dimitri and Braco included.

"Legos or something," Even Ruckus poked his head over the side, appearing from who knows where after disappearing into the middle of the fight where the battle was thickest. A huge slash decorated the side of his shoulder, but he seemingly ignored it, obviously entertained by Leblanc falling down onto Logos.

"It's Logos," Yaibal corrected, before shouting down, "Are any of you hurt?"

"Ow," Leblanc hissed at the bite of pain in her arm, before growling, "Just fine!"

"Boss," Logos reached out again to get smacked upside the head by Leblanc's palm, "Ow! What was that for?" He rubbed the side of his head as he slightly glared through the dull ache in his ear.

"I told you to leave it!" Leblanc snapped before bringing her hand back to her wound, "So stop touching it you idiot!"

"I heard what you said," He shot back and then grabbed firmly onto her wrist, trying to pull it away from the red splotch on her arm, "Would you just let me see it? If you're hurt-"

"What good would you do?" Leblanc yanked her wrist free and then leaned into his face, "You can't do anything about it, so stop touching it! It hurts, alright? I'll get it fixed by people who know what to do. And anyways, what the hell are you even doing here? I thought you were back in Guadosalam! Don't you have something better to do?"

"For a moment I'd say you don't want me here!"

"I don't!"

Their babbling argument rose from the bottom, to dull out mid-way, before it got to the Youth Leaguer's ears standing above. They could catch parts of it, some pieces that Lyra had to cover Dimitri's and Braco's ears for, and other parts that sounded like incoherent nonsense even as they heard it clearly.

"Why don't you just go sleep with one of your sluts?" Leblanc pulled her arm farther away from his reach, causing a stinging pain, but it was worth it from keeping it out of his reach. Her words were vengeful, for all the 'trouble' he had caused, and was sharp as her temper barely could be contained for showing up suddenly like he did, "Or go get some spheres and be useful!"

"I didn't come all the way here to be yelled at by you! I had to walk through the pouring rain, get chewed on by fiends, dodge lightning, get shot by Al Bhed nit-wits that hardly spoke a word Spirian, and fight those idiotic Yevonites, just so I can bring two spheres for your stupid Mey- Ow! You know for someone that is injured you can hit hard enough to- Ow! Would you stop hitting me! ? My face is not a punching bag for your disposal, Boss!"

Elma blinked down at the Leblanc raising her fist for another smack into the gunner's cheek bones, again and again, as she closed her eyes tightly and her face got bright red. The crimson-clad woman looked at Nooj, pointing down the cliff, "Should I…maybe… go down there and stop them?" She stared at Nooj, who was watching them down below like the rest of them, and probably just as amused though he showed little sign of it besides the pull of the corner of his lips.

Their squabbling was like one line that never stopped for breath, raising and lowering its pitch to their voices. The two shot back, and interrupted, each other so quickly there was no time for silence. Which made it sound like-

"Just because you have a crush on the! - Shut up you squinty faced- I'm not that squinted! Why does everyone keep saying that?- Because you're so pinched face that you probably only see a line of what you could- That doesn't even make sense!- It does too! I'm saying that if you open your eyes a little maybe you could see what's really there half the time instead of- Like you should be one to talk about opening your eyes! The things that go over your head are unbelievable! And you know what I'm talking about when I say that!-At least I'm not crushing on someone that I just can't have! -Who are we talking about here really? Me or you?- Shut up!

Leblanc was bashing at his head with her good arm, when Nooj finally answered Elma, "If you would want to risk getting in the crossfire, then after you." He turned before limping towards the main tent, the other Youth Leaguers picking up the wounded and tying up the rebels. Lucil, with a slightly sleepy look on her face, turned to follow after him as he finished, "As for me, I'll just wait until Leblanc is finished."

"Stupid!"

"Ow!" Logos ducked below the next swipe for his face, being tired of getting hit there. "I came here all this way, and I have been worried and then you hit me? What sense does that make?"

"Stop talking bad about Nooj!" Leblanc pointed at him, her face still red, "I love him, got it? There is no question about it. I love him! I shouldn't even have to think about it. It's supposed to be in the forefront of my mind. Ooh, it's all your fault!"

"My fault?" Logos raised a slick black brow while bringing a hand to his chest. It stayed there for a moment, before he slammed it down in a fist, "What under the heavens makes you think that this is my fault?" His shoulders loosened from their tensed up position, "Wait, what is even my fault?"

"You're so stupid!" Leblanc shook her head, her face stinging more than her wound, "I love Nooj, got it?"

She remembered something and looked up, then she sighed, not so much in relief as slight disappointment. Nooj wasn't there, nobody was there anymore as far as she could see. So, he didn't know what she felt. But, maybe that was a good thing because the nature he would've known would be less then romantic or dreamy.

"I'm stupid? Well, sometimes I could say the same thing about you." Logos grumpily turned his face away from her and peered from the corner of his eyes, his arms crossed, "For instance, why are you yelling at me for? I just came here because I was concerned about you when I heard about some surprise attack. And you should be thankful I was here to soften your landing or you may have very well broken your neck!"

"You knocked the wind out of me is what you did!" Leblanc threw her arms up in the air before wincing, again having a painful reminder that earlier she had been shot. She also let out a cry but shut it up real quick when Logos's face changed. It was hard to stay mad at someone when they made that face, and she wanted to stay mad at him for everything he's caused.

"Boss…would just let me see it?" Logos said slowly, "Or at least we could get up there and get a medic. By the sounds of it, the fighting is done."

"What are you even doing here, really? You didn't bother coming last time." Leblanc pursed her lips and looked off to the side, still gripping her arm, "I doubt you'd bother to see Nooj unless you had some ulterior motive."

"That makes me sound sneaky and dishonest," Logos leaned back, in a position where he could see her fully, "But, if you must know, I'm not here for Nooj obviously. I'm here for you."

"Obviously? Ha!" Leblanc shot her eyes back towards him, in a mean stare, "Like you do anything obvious. You always have something else going on in your head! That's why those girls got annoyed with you. I can see why they'd do that. You suck at making anything clear."

"Well," Logos lightly shrugged, his nose bunching up to the side a bit, "I never said I was good at it. But, I'm having trouble understanding you right now. What are you even mad at me for?"

"You just don't get it do you?" Leblanc then shouted, "I love Nooj!"

"So you keep reminding me," Logos growled, displeased with hearing that over and over again, "But what does that have to do with me now?"

"Logos-you-you-Ooh!" She shook with her aggravation before punching him in his shoulder hard enough to get him to jolt back a little, "Why did you have to do this now? Why didn't you make it obvious? Why didn't you just say so? If I had known I-!" She caught herself and brought her hands to her mouth, slapping it shut with an, "Uhp!"

His eyes widened and he stared down at her, "What would you have done?"

"I don't know!" Leblanc stood up, hands fists at her sides, "But if you had made it more obvious then I would've known earlier. Then, it would've been a lot more convenient to deal with!"

"I'm deeply sorry my feelings aren't convenient for you deal with," Logos sniffed, sarcasm spilling over the ends of his words, before standing up himself, "But, as for making it obvious, I'm sure it was."

"It was _not _obvious!" Leblanc stomped her foot down into the mud hard before taking a firm step towards him, "-Or, I would've noticed!"

"Noticed? You hardly noticed anything other than,-" Logos lifted up his chin and his nasally voice rose a pitch, "Noojie-woojie this and Noojie-woojie that." He returned to his normal voice, "It was highly unlikely you ever noticed what I strive to do for you. And of course, I doubt you even knew it was I that did those things, or even that it was being done at all! Do you honestly think I would do half the things I did if I didn't care for you?"

She yelled so hard that she closed her eyes, "That still didn't make it any more obvious, Logos!"

"You are maddening!" Logos shouted, his voice and argument reaching its climax, "You must honestly be the most maddening women I've ever had to deal with in my entire life! That attitude of yours, it's enough to drive me insane. Are you really so dense headed or are you just stubborn? I can't decide myself! You are driving me crazy!"

"Oh yeah? Then why don't you just leave then!" Leblanc put her hands on her hips and spat, "I don't care!"

"I would like nothing more if that didn't drive me even more crazy! I don't think I can live without being bossed around by you. Do you know what? That's it! I can't live without you or I'd go absolutely insane. That's exactly the root of my problems." Logos heaved a sigh, his shoulders bobbing with his breath, before he looked at her serious, "I'm not leaving."

Leblanc sucked in air into her cheeks before letting out an aggravated growl, "I don't get you. What is it you want, Logos?"

After turning his head slightly to the side, another moment passed, and he lifted a brow and peeked out of the corner of his sharp eyes to her. His voice and body calmer as he sighed and said:

"Fine, you want to know?"

"I wish you were just obvious with it!" Leblanc snapped, her hand waving stiffly through the air, "Really!"

"Oh?" He tilted his chin the other way, "It's obvious you want?"

Her eyes opened wide. She barely had enough time to wonder why it shocked her so much before quickly coming to the conclusion in split second that it was the way he said it. Soft, and it made her skin prickle and her blood tingle.

"Here's obvious as you can get," He nearly whispered, and Leblanc felt warmth rise up into her face because he was close enough that his breath was tickling her skin. Leblanc held her own breath as he stared straight into her eyes, his face level with her own. "I love you, Leblanc."

Something in her head cracked open, and it was suddenly very real and no longer, even in the tiniest of ways, possibly a joke. It was official, and it changed something though she couldn't identify what. She wasn't even sure if it was a dangerous change, but she felt like something big crack inside her.

Logos watched her a bit more before sighing and continuing on, feeling awkward speaking and not quite sure what to say until it was already out, "Boss…I think I may have always loved you. Before you left, before Vegnagun, before that stupid concert with the Former High Summoner's garment grid, before I was even your second in command! Days into knowing you I was enamored with everything about you. And even now, when I'm so annoyed and angry with you, as I probably should be, I'm still thinking in my head that I love you. I'm still thinking about how beautiful you are, and how I wish you knew, and accepted, and returned my feelings."

"Logos…"

"I wish you'd forget about Nooj, come back with me, and-" Logos took a deep breath, and leaned away from her face to a comfortable distance, "I wished you'd love me instead of him. But, there are some things I can't help."

"Logos."

Logos exhaled breath before looking up, his shoulders down, "I love you. And I want to know…what you think about it now."

"Logos." She couldn't feel words coming out of her mouth, not except his name that she had been nearly mindlessly saying without any idea what to say after. How could a conversation turn so suddenly?

The mere force of the shock left her momentarily speechless. Leblanc had already been so confused and now it was just overwhelming. Her emotions sizzling to a point where she couldn't feel anything at all but built up energy with no where to go. Whatever cracked inside her soul was warming up; for reasons she wasn't quite sure. Be that anger, embarrassment, or even something else, but it nearly burned a hole through her chest. The rain had finally stopped to a drizzle so there was nothing to cool her overloading head. He was staring down at her, and he stared so intensely!

"Logos." She repeated again, tongue-tied as ever. His eyebrows were gradually lifted as his curiosity grew, but he wasn't saying anything, he was just waiting for her to say something. But, what to say that she already hadn't said was the question running through her mind.

_I love Nooj. _Well, he didn't ask that, and he seemed to know already. No, the question was, what do you think about- What did she think about it?

Like saying it a third time would help, Leblanc said, "Logos." Then instantly scrunched up her face and winced. _I'm such an idiot! _

He smiled. _Oh so he thinks this is funny? _Then he opened his mouth slowly, drawling, "…Yes?"

"I-" Leblanc huffed and put her hands on her hips, "I don't know, alright?"

"You don't know?" Logos sighed, his face and body relaxing, but that loose smile was still on his face, "Oh, so this means I have a chance."

"Yeah right!" Leblanc lifted her arm up again before feeling the sting flow down her arm. She needed to really stop moving her arm. It was becoming achy now, after all the fighting and moving she had forced out of the limb, and she held it again.

"You could just put a potion on it, instead of whining about it."

"Well, aren't you ballsy now?" Leblanc looked up and glared as hard as she could past the burning, "But, I don't have a potion."

"Well, this is different," Logos angled his chin away from her, "I've always known you to be the one that's prepared. Don't you always carry at least one on you?"

"I used it," Leblanc shoved her nose in the air and turned deliberately away from him.

"On what?"

"A boy that was wounded. Anymore questions?" Leblanc pushed past him. This cliff ran along side the Youth League, eventually angling upwards, and connected with the back of the Headquarters. Logos was probably trying to sneak behind all the commotion to get in.

"You know-" Leblanc stopped after walking a few dozen feet, her head looking over her shoulder to Logos, who was following her, "There's nothing you can do to change my mind."

"Change your mind? As far as I know, 'I don't know' means that you haven't made up your mind," There was that annoying smile again, an invisible pull on the outsides of his lips that usually were pointed down, "Or am I wrong?"

"You can't beat Nooj," Leblanc turned fully around to face him dead on, "There's nothing you have that you can win over Nooj."

"I used to think that as well, but now I beg to differ," He took a step closer, and Leblanc held her place. It wasn't like her to move away from a challenge, and she wasn't going to start now. Especially to him, her former second-in-command, who had always hopped to her orders and sniveled when he was getting his ass handed to him by three annoying little girls.

"Oh, really? What is it?" She tilted her head back to look up at him.

"You said it yourself, you don't know, which is more than enough hope for me," He swished his hand through the air, "And, moreover, I do have something, if just one thing, over Meyvn Nooj."

Leblanc stiffened, "And what's that?"

"I love you," Those words again at sent something crawling up her throat, "-and I'm sure it will always be more than Nooj," Logos lifted a corner of his mouth higher and smirked, "And I know he couldn't love you more, or he'd just explode. I'm on the brink of it as is, so I doubt that he could join me on even this level."

"Oh yeah?" Leblanc raised up her shoulders defensively and pointed her eyes upward, even as the drizzling rain nearly fell directly into them, "I'd like to see you try and prove it!"

His eyes only for a moment widened before the corner of his smirk grew even more.

"As you wish," Logos's hands grasped her shoulders, "But, just remember that you asked me first."

Leblanc was pulled closer, her hands coming up between them only to be trapped, and she looked up again, her eye wide, "Logos-? Mm!"

His lips pressed down into her own, and she couldn't move, frozen as she stared at his closed eyes.

**A/N: Bahna na na nahhh!~ Tee hee ^_^ Don't you just love cliff hangers? Tee hee, the chapter is named What Happens Next? for a reason, ah ha ha! I'm so evil : ) **


	14. No Holding Back

**A/N: Ahahaha! Here we go.**

* * *

><p>"Chapter 14: No Holding Back"<p>

* * *

><p>He pressed harder down into her lips, and she stood stiffly against him, her hands on his chest.<p>

How brilliant. She had said 'prove it' and of course, she didn't think of him actually trying something like this. Actually, she didn't know what to expect. But, actually leaning down and-

He tilted his head, and like before, waited patiently for her to do something.

Her hands were shaking, her legs too, and her breath was quaking. Below her stomach trembled in a dizzying wave. There was a tremor in her chest, one that almost hurt, and she felt the fluttering in her stomach like when she was with Nooj except now it was as if the usual butterflies were doing somersaults.

She couldn't move, like when she couldn't speak, and though her mind was screaming, 'DO SOMETHING!' nothing happened from her end. And she wasn't even sure what she wanted to do.

One side of her brain was thinking, _push away, push away, push away! I love Nooj, right? _But then there was the side more connected to her body saying, _This isn't that bad…in fact…_

She became aware as she contemplated what to make her body do, that there was movement under her palms. He took a shaky breath in through his nose, and then there was a hard beating against her hand.

_**Th-thump, th-thump, th-thump. **_

Like he should be the one nervous! Her whole body was tingling with warmth.

He slowly slid his hands from her shoulders to back around them, cautiously, and pressed only enough for touch but leaving plenty of room for her to push him back, scream no!, and end it.

Leblanc couldn't decide to end it though, not that she could decide to go with either. Being completely honest with her body, she didn't want to. But when she looked inside, there was the images of what things _should've _been, and this wasn't quite what she had in mind.-

It felt like an excuse to say, over and over again, _I love Nooj, _when nothing came from it. Nothing changed, even as she stood here. And it wouldn't change when she pushed Logos away either. And it wouldn't change if she kissed back. But _something_ would change, but Leblanc wasn't sure if that's what she wanted.

Her heart rammed itself into her rib cage. She still felt the same about Nooj, at least in her mind, so was it betrayal to actually, maybe a bit, like the warmth against her lips right now?

Not even a minute passed, but it felt like eternity as she awkwardly stood there, thinking. Then, mercifully, he pulled away.

He was still close when he gently whispered, barely audible, "If you want me to stop, just say it."

He was going to get clarification from her one way or another.

Waiting for Nooj to finally come around, if he was ever going to, was honestly a lonely experience. Leblanc swallowed and tried to forget what it was like to kiss someone again, but it wasn't going to happen.

"I don't-"

"Yes?" It was a rasp against her lips, that tickled again, and his heart hit so hard against his chest that she felt it through her hand and nearly to the pulse in her wrist.

"I-" Her eyes were relaxed from their state of being wide open, and she swallowed once more, her fingers tightening into the cloth of his shirt, pulling the material into her palms.

"Hey Leblanc!"

In her panic, Leblanc pulled away and slammed a hand into Logos's side before spinning around to face Elma, who was running down the path towards her and the gunner that was now trying to hide his gasps for air by putting his face down.

"W-what, lo-va-eh?" Leblanc couldn't get her tongue to work quite right and nervously laughed, unsure of what to do with herself at the moment, her face beet red.

_Did she see? Did she see? _Just in case she had- maybe a little-

"My arm is just fine Logos! No need to worry! Ha ha ha!" Leblanc pulled it up, winced yet again, before looking back at Elma, "S-see, love? Just peachy."

"Yeah, that's just what I came down her to see about. You were taking an awfully long time getting up here. You're alright, aren't ya?" Elma smiled and tilted her head, "Looks like you guys are done arguing. That's great!"

Warning signals flared off in Leblanc' head, _What does that mean? What does she know? How much did she see? _

"I thought you might punch his head off for a minute there. Say, you're awfully red Leblanc. Are you sure you're okay?" Elma took a step closer, her hands going to touch her shoulder. Leblanc evaded it and then quickly interjected any more worrisome questions from Elma with a, "I'm fine! Really…"

"Hey, is _he_ alright?" Elma pointed her index finger at Logos, who raised a hand up.

"Good," He was holding his side, and Leblanc flushed as she quickly remembered, it was the side she had punched in her mad panic about being caught kis-kiss-

"Hey, you're all red again!" Elma leaned forward to see Leblanc's face that was red from one side to the other, and her cheeks overflowing with color, "Even your ears are red!"

"Why does the color of my face matter, love?" Leblanc spoke quickly and without breathing before, much like a wind-up toy solider, marched straight-limbed past Elma and up the rise, "Let's just go, shall we?" as she thought was appropriate to say though was unable to execute it in a non-suspicious manner.

"Hey!" Elma watched her back disappear up the slope before running after, "Wait up, Leblanc!"

Logos watched both the red-clad woman and the spiky blonde haired former boss that he could still feel trembling with energy against him move farther and farther away. Soon, he found himself standing awkwardly alone, and smiling like an idiot.

He lifted his gloved fingers to his mouth, pressing them into his lips until he could feel his teeth behind them. Leblanc's lips were incredibly warm, like he always thought they would be, and now he wanted it again already. When she was pressed into him, he could feel her heart hitting him through her breasts against his diaphragm. Even the most wildest of dreams couldn't match up with that.

He was only partially aware that he was still smiling like an imbecile, and only fact was to blame for that-

She hadn't said 'stop', now did she?

* * *

><p>"Woo woo~ what took you so long?" Nia's short slim body wiggled towards her sitting on the edge of a cot in an medical tent and touched her uninjured arm, causing Leblanc to jolt. She was really sensitive right now, and jumpy along with it, so Nia's sudden push into her arm shocked her enough for a squeak.<p>

Nia took it with even more amusement, "I heard the arguing stop a while back, so what took you so long? Maybe you guys were- making up?" She smiled wide.

"Oh, please!" Leblanc flushed, the feelings shaking underneath the skin and making her feel jittery, "Be mature love."

"I can't help it, I'm pretty much still a teenager." Nia bumped her hard with her arm, "If it wasn't anything you could just tell me, Love-Love, no big deal."

"It wasn't anything!" Leblanc stuck her arm out as the medic told her too with a jerk of his head, "Really, just drop it."

"Where is he now?" Nia put a hand to her forehead, mostly for show since they were in the tent and couldn't see outside properly anyways, and looked around, "I wonder."

"I don't know, maybe he is talking to Nooj. He came here with some spheres, I think," Leblanc rolled her eyes way from Nia, who was smiling coyly still.

"Oooh," Nia, much to the medic's annoyance and displeasure, pressed into Leblanc's side again and shoved her a bit to the right, making the medic have to move to chase the wound, "Got a guilty conscience?"

"Really! Be mature," Leblanc repeated and then sat up straighter, her arm more easily accessible for the medic. It was a good thing no one was dead from this, on the Youth League side at least, so there was some room for joking. Though a few were in induced comas and plenty were critically injured. But, there was no casualties-yet.

Dimitri poked his head into the large tent and peered from the bandages around his head, square cut compresses taped to the side of his cheek and chin, and smiled with missing teeth, "Hey, Lo'ff-Lo'ff!"

At least it wasn't Mama anymore. Leblanc smiled, "What is it?"

"Nooj is'th lookin' fer ya."

"Oh!" Leblanc shot up from her spot with a noisy grumble from the medic.

"Sit down!" The medic growled before pulling down on her arm, "It won't take that long if you'd just hold still! You can meet with the Meyvn in a minute!"

"Right!" Leblanc forced herself down to the side of the cot, holding her arm still as possible, "Just hurry."

The medic got straight back to work, another grumble of '-wouldn't take me so long if you'd hold still!' and so to pass the time, Leblanc turned to look down at Dimitri, "How's your head love?"

"Oh! Jus'th fine!" He said through his missing front teeth, "Tha'th guy didn't hi'th too hard a'th all!"

"Hard enough to knock your teeth out," Leblanc looked down seriously at him, hoping he wouldn't miss the lesson from this, "You should be more careful."

"Ye'th ma'am," He lisped, his eyes falling downwards before he looked back up, the same as ever, "Bu'th you and Aun'thie Lyra worry to muc'th!"

"Or not enough," Lyra, flanked by Braco and Yaibal, bent her head low and entered into the tent, "Dimitri, I hope you realize that was stupid."

"Bu'th I go'th him twi'th in the fa'thss!" Dimitri looked to the bed with Hacky on it, his shirt pulled up so he could get an adjustment on his shoulder that he misaligned crashing into the crane.

"Good job buddy! But the point of hitting someone twice is to not get hit so hard that you go flying yourself," Hacky flinched at a cracking behind him, the medic fixing his shoulder, and after winding up with a scream, he suddenly relaxed and smiled, "Whoa that felt pretty good."

"Alright, I'm almost done," The medic treating Leblanc set the cotton ball with the potion and other treatment ointments down, "Now, hold still. I'll wrap it for you."

"Thank you love," Leblanc was nearly about to get to her feet when the medic got the first round wound against her arm. Then she stilled herself long enough for him to finish before looking at everyone, "I have to go."

"Good luck!" Nia, now bothering the medic treating Hacky, wrapped her arms around him teasingly (both to Hacky and toward Leblanc) and waved goodbye with a twiddling of her fingers.

Leblanc have a wag of her hand before ducking through the tent way and towards the main tent, thinking, _It's a good thing some people can find time to be excited._

* * *

><p>Logos sighed, the three distinct green slivers mocking him. Then, there was the coin sized pieces in his palm as well, not to mention the spider web fracture on the second sphere. And to think that was from Leblanc punching him in his side! If they hadn't been there then Lady Luck knows he'd have a broken rib or two.<p>

Really, what incredible strength! If only she could find a way to use it that didn't involve attacking his sides or head.

No matter, the spheres could possibly be fixed. Supposing of course that Nooj had the tools.

There was a distinct sound of thump, click, thump, click, which was the sound of Nooj walking and his cane hitting the floor with each of his steps. Logos looked up from the table he laid the spheres on to see the Meyvn, as he expected, walk in.

Nooj flashed a small smile, "How is it that whenever you come to visit, you are soaking wet?"

"Ha!" Logos sarcastically laughed before lifting a hand to rub vigorously at his hair with the towel that the red-head had brought in. The rain was now a few patters at best against the canvas of the tents, seemingly deciding to stop pelting people when the fighting and traveling was over, annoyingly.

"Is something wrong?" Nooj lifted a brow at the spheres that Logos had before him on the table, "Are those the spheres you brought with you?"

"I ran into some difficulties on the trip," Logos placed the fractions of the green spheres on the table, "I can fix it, if you have the tools."

"We may. What is it you need?"

After giving the specific names of the equipment he required, he went to look at the purple sphere with the spider fracture.

"I can fix this as well, but it would be a great waste of time to use tools on it, and will be no good to you in the end. It will only raise the price a few hundred gil from what was agreed upon to fix a bit of a fuzzy picture. I'll leave that up to you, however, I suggest you don't bother."

"I will consider what you say, though wouldn't you, for the sake of sales, want me to spend more?" Nooj lowered himself into a chair across from Logos, his hair damp from dying off himself, but his clothes dry now, unlike Logos who was still wet from head to toe. Logos, in slight discomfort from the water, shook more droplets from his head before wrapping the towel around his neck and rubbing there.

"The violet sphere contains a certain mission estimated from about forty years ago. It contains a particular group of the Yevonite Army, one that may come to some interest to you," Logos stopped and looked up at the leader of the Youth League, "Is there something you need to say?"

"I'm…curious," Nooj put his hand comfortably on the tabletop, his fingers soon drumming lightly against the wood, "What is it that you really came for?"

Logos leaned back into the chair he was asked to sit down in when the Syndicate member had initially came in, and he politely said, "Perceptive," when what he really wanted to say was _nosy bastard. _But, that wouldn't do for the Meyvn nine times out of ten. After all, Nooj was a pretty humble man but it was needless to say that he probably didn't get flat out insulted a lot, and Logos shouldn't be the one to provoke him.

"I don't care to come here myself. I've already told you that." Logos shifted in his seat before scooting the green sphere pieces closer. He picked up a coin piece and started holding it up at different angles to the sphere's broken edge, "I want to speak to my former Boss of course."

"You're pretty generous with the spheres, even with the impression that you'd rather sell them to me at a large price, am I wrong?" Nooj drummed his fingers again. A little _thwump twump thwump. _into the space of the empty tent.

His casual questioning was unnerving within itself, only making Logos become self-aware of his own lack of confidence and cool in comparison, though he was doing better than he thought. He felt the questions winding up for something more important, and more of a concern to Nooj since he hadn't known the man to waste breath unless it was for something he required.

"It would be what Leblanc would want," Logos found the proper piece for the particular break he was looking at and held it to the rightful spot, "And I try not to be so difficult anymore."

"It goes well for me," Nooj nodded faintly, "But, I'm still curious."

"About what exactly?" Logos drew a tool, from his own collection, from a pouch in the inner lining of his coat. He flicked a wheel on the back of the rod and light flashed before producing a tiny intense flame. He brought the very end of the bright red flame to the fissure to seal it up. He had to avoid eye contact with the Meyvn at all costs or who know's- he might crack himself.

"I'm under the impression that the feelings you have for your former employer goes beyond business," Nooj set his eyes on Logos's face and caught the pinch-eyed glare just as it lifted from the sphere. The gunner couldn't help it, despite the fact of trying to avoid the Meyvn's eyes. The comment, said with the low and smooth voice, had forced his eyes from the spheres.

"Asking from my own curiosity, what gives you that impression?" Logos snapped his wrist and the flame died on the miniature delicate welding tool. He couldn't advert his eyes now.

"A former second in command would go to great lengths for someone that they respected, I know, but I don't think they'd quite battle a group of Yevonites in a ravine, meanwhile being struck with a storm to go down in history, and after they had inexplicably traveled a large distance in said rain." Nooj leaned a little more towards one side of the chair then the other, "To start, that seems a bit…out of the ordinary for just a former second in command. It would come to mind that you probably care quite a deal about Leblanc."

"It so happens I do," Logos looked down at the green sphere. For the bigger slivers, he'd need those tools that he requested, but Nooj had yet to call anyone to him, or move himself.

Nooj continued to stare at him over his glasses, "So how far does this respect for her go?"

"I think you know," Logos flicked the tool on again, thinking that he might as well get the small parts fixed while he can. And it was more comfortable to keep his hands busy, and his eyes averted without seemingly like he was cowardly or sniveling, as Leblanc often worded it. The feeling that these questions were particularly _dangerous_, flicked through Logos again.

The gunner peeked at Nooj, and attempting to turn the conversation around, he said, "I care more than 'quite a bit' for the Boss, Leblanc, I mean, she has become very dear to me. And, as it stands, there is something that would make her happy, as much as it pains me to admit it. I need to know if this 'happiness' she's wanting is, ehm…available to her..."

"I'm afraid I cannot help you with that," Nooj shook his head, without missing a beat in his response, "I don't care for Leblanc in that way."

"Not…even a little?" Logos looked up from the piece he was sticking to the broken sphere, "You do realize that she cares for you…a great deal I'd say."

"And I care for her in a way, but not in the way she wants me to," Nooj sighed, "It has been that way from the beginning. Leblanc is a great person, and talented, however I just don't share those same feelings."

"That's a bit unfortunate, for the Boss anyways," Logos picked up another shard and turned it this way and that with his fingers, studying its shape carefully.

Taking the time to study the shard gave him time to carefully choose his next words, "I can't say I feel bad about it being that way, but in a way I do, or at least I should. But, right now, I simply have every wish that she'd come home with me and forget about you, but I know the Boss well enough to understand that will never happen in a million years."

Nooj tilted his head ever so slightly, "I think she'd hardly ever forget anyone that has made an impression on her."

Logos's eyes looked away from the shard for a moment before looking back at the reflecting green light. He halfway expected Nooj to possibly argue with him about the realities of the fact that Leblanc probably wouldn't ever come back (not just a plain comment on forgetting people), but the Meyvn was silent, at least in that regard.

Suddenly, Nooj said, or more of announced, "You're actually here to take her back to Guadosalam."

It should figure that much was obvious. Logos nodded, "Yes. I know she's useful, I know more than anyone, but I am here to 'steal' her away. Particularly from you, Nooj."

"Oh?"

"Until she chooses whom she loves, really, than you and I are rivals no matter what you feel about it," Logos gently pushed the shard against the sphere. Nooj wasn't a bad man, but it was true that they were 'rivals' so long as Leblanc had doubts. And Logos was sure she had them…after all, she didn't say 'no' flat out. And, if his feelings were correct (or what he thought he felt when he held her close) she didn't want to say 'no' either.

Logos met Nooj's steady eyes, after a pause waiting for a reaction of any sort, though none could be read, before he tried again, "You should know that I'm not going to leave until I know for sure what she feels, or, at least bring her home with me. That doesn't trouble you at all?"

He raised a brow, expecting a reaction of some sort, though getting an unexpected one instead.

"I can't say I won't miss her skills in battle," Nooj let a small corner of his lips rise, "But if it is what she chooses than I have no say."

Logos lightly smiled, feeling strangely relieved. He shrugged and looked partially to the side, "I can't say what she'll choose. But, well, I'll just have to see…soon."

For once, Logos felt somewhat comfortable being in the same room with the great Meyvn Nooj. But, that feeling wasn't going to last as the light in Nooj's eyes disappeared and his mouth reverted into a straight dark line. Logos stopped himself from gently gulping or adverting his eyes again as Nooj nearly bore holes through his skull. Logos avoided the urge to fidget in his seat as well before, thankfully, the Meyvn finally broke the moment of silence.

"Before you do _anything _in my Headquarters, it's important that I ask you…" Nooj's voice was flat, dead serious, and needless to say Logos perked up to pay attention. Perhaps from old habit to listen to the grave militaristic tone or simply because it was Nooj and the way he had with people, most likely the latter than not. Logos gave a faint nod to indicate he was listening, _very, _carefully.

"Are you sure you love Leblanc?"

Nooj was a hard man to read, but somehow Logos could detect the hint of disbelief in the way it was asked and his defensiveness rose. And though probably not the smartest move on his part, he growled back, "Am I being interrogated?"

With a no-nonsense tone, Nooj quickly explained, "Right now, Leblanc works for me. And though I may not have been acquainted with her very long, I have come to call her a friend of mine." Nooj straightened himself against he chair back, "I've fought beside her as you have. And I do care, as I've said, so this is just me trying to find out if she is going to get hurt from this. I want her to be careful of course."

"Careful?" Logos echoed. With Nooj's explanation it made sense, though Logos didn't quite like that the Meyvn would be so concerned in the matter. However, the gunner couldn't help himself from feeling slightly insulted. His tone was bitter when he retorted, "I would sooner shoot myself in the face then harm her in any way."

"Ah, that gives me some but not a lot of comfort." Nooj leaned back in his chair and seemingly, for a moment, his brown eyes clouded, "I have actually seen men shoot themselves in the face. It happens, and though unthinkable for some people, among warriors- I think you know what I speak of."

Logos swallowed, taking it in. Stuff like that always seemed to happen in the army, especially around the end of his days being there. He meant what he had said but at the same time it was more than that, if only he could find the damn words. To give Nooj a response, he sighed, and said,"…Yes, I may not be a Deathseeker, but I know."

Nooj's fingers tapped a little impatiently against the table top. It was enough to signal to the gunner that he wasn't quite pleased with that answer alone.

Logos put a hand to his face, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose as he inwardly searched his brain for a better reply. Nothing really came to mind so he simply muttered, "I have a particularly difficult time expressing the exactitude of my feelings. I mean it when I say I love her."

Nooj let out a breath himself and blandly said, "I'm sure you do."

There it was again. That smidgen of doubt that heated Logos's blood. If that was the Meyvn's way of coming to peace with the situation and being content with it, then that wasn't good enough. Logos was a perfectionist to say the least and leaving it at that would not do at all. Not even mentioning how it ticked him off that the Meyvn would doubt his sincerity, especially with how earnest and serious the gunner was about it.

Logos slapped his hand down onto the table, his voice raised a pitch, and he directed all his words forcefully at Nooj. "Damnit! I don't know how to say it in a way that you mustn't already know! I've done everything she's ever asked of me from the moment I began to serve her. In fact, I will _always _do anything she asks of me, no matter what that is."

Nooj blinked. Logos grated his teeth, still unsatisfied, "For Yevon's sake, I followed her past the ends of the material world into the land of the dead to assist a person I should hate! I'd have to be crazy to go there in the first place for any reason, and I really wouldn't of gone at all if it had been anyone else in all of Spira that needed me at her side!" Nearly fully aggravated, Logos asked fiercely, "What would even make you think that I wouldn't love Leblanc with anything less than my all?"

Nooj continued to stare, seemingly staring into the gunner's very soul, and of course judging him for his worth. After a moment, a small trace of smile appeared on his lips, "Well, you certainly are passionate about it."

The lightness in the delivery of the words managed to make Logos just as annoyed as when Nooj was doubting him. He crossed his arms tight into his chest before slurring, "Why wouldn't I be? My only wish to make Leblanc happy." He narrowed his eyes, "And with how you're handling this right now I think she could never be the fullest with you."

Nooj took no offense to the harshness in which it was said and instead lowered his voice to a passive tone. "No need to be angry."

"Hmph," Logos sniffed and turned his head slightly, staring out the corner of his eyes. Strangely, that brought further comfort to Nooj's mind when he didn't look away like he had been doing repeatedly earlier.

"You know," Nooj said levelly if not just a tad bit softer than his usual voice, "It's not an easy thing to make someone happy, or keep them that way."

"I'm more than willing to try even the impossible at this point." Logos stiffened, his nose crinkling and his vision coming from the corner of his eyes still, "And laugh all you want but I mean it."

"Well, that's good," Nooj chuckled a bit, "Then I'm at ease. Try what you must."

"Hmph," Logos snorted, more pleased with this answer but still somewhat riled. He wasn't bitter anymore but it was still on the irritated side as he said, "I was almost sure that I would get this type of chat from her father, not you of all people."

"I'm sure you will," Nooj lifted a brow, "If Leblanc has a father that is. Do you know the man?"

Leblanc's father? Logos mouth twisted a bit. That was a good question, and a bit of nervous energy surfaced in his chest. Hopefully Leblanc gets that fiery temper from her mother. If not, then that would be an interesting bridge to cross. If he could get passed the first couple before then of course.

"I don't know," Logos busied his hands and pushed the green slivers closer together, "In any case, there's plenty of things that come before that, that should concern me. Leblanc being the very first."

There was some humor in Nooj's eyes, "Well, that's good then. I suppose I have nothing to worry about."

Logos glanced up. Was that supposed to be taken as a compliment at this point? Before looking back down at his hands.

A moment of silence passed. The only sound being that of nasally breathing from Logos and the sound of Nooj's fingers occasionally drumming against the table. Then there was some sounds of clinking as Logos moved the spheres around on the table. After a while, Logos sighed, and said-

"While I'm being honest, I have something to ask. Erm, they want her back, the goons I mean, and I want to be at her side. The ideal thing for me is to bring her home." He looked up through his top eyelids, "But, if I cannot, I still want to be by her side. Do you think that there is a way that can be arranged?"

Nooj's eyes widened a bit, truly surprised at this unexpected request, coming from this particular gunner especially. Nooj straightened his neck out and didn't bother to hide the surprise in his voice, "Are you asking to join the Youth League?"

Logos lifted one side of his mouth, "Are you saying I wouldn't be useful here? There was a reason, and a good one, that Leblanc put me in charge when she left I'm sure. And before that, I was her second in command, which I worked for. It wasn't just handed to me."

"I'm not saying you wouldn't be useful, I'm just wondering why you'd make that choice." Nooj lowered his chin a bit, "It seems a bit- offhanded for you."

"I am serious," Logos crossed his arms, "Don't misunderstand. There is many things I'd rather do than to deal with political nonsense and just becoming another grunt in a military operation, but those things don't matter above being with Leblanc now. There is only one other thing worse than getting mixed up in Spira's problems once more and that's having to go back empty handed again. I've given it some thought, but there's no avoiding it if I am to be at her side. I can't just live randomly in the ravine and watch over her, it's not close enough."

"Hmm," Nooj stood up slowly, Logos's eyes following him up, "I think I understand you finally. I am free to help, if you require it."

"What does that mean?" Logos watched him limp towards the exit, "Hey!"

"I'm going to get those tools you said you needed for the spheres," Nooj looked briefly over his shoulder, "And I think I'll have you fix the other sphere as well."

* * *

><p>Leblanc strode towards the main tent with every bit of forced confidence pushed through her steps. Even with the prospect of seeing Nooj, it was difficult to get her feet to point straight towards that direction. And for only one reason:<p>

Logos is still probably in there too…

It wasn't like she was afraid of him, why should she be? But, rather, Leblanc had exactly no idea whatsoever about how to react when she got near him again, or how she'd do it if she wasn't prepared. It was embarrassing enough, and she didn't need to make a fool of herself in front of Nooj without a little time to think up a plan.

And, unfortunately, the time it took to get over there didn't supply the sufficient amount to make a good one.

For now, she'd ignore him. It would be easy enough, save maybe the blushes, and get her mind back on track when she saw the Meyvn again. It wasn't like one little kiss could change anything. She couldn't just un-fall in love with Nooj just because Logos decided to do something. No, that's not the way it worked, was it?

Seeing them side by side would be good. She would obviously see how Nooj is so much better in comparison. Not that she really needed that! Love was indefinite anyways!

She held her head up high as she took the last firm step to right outside the entry way. The butterflies moved around in her stomach, and she felt a little shaky-limbed. Confidence was often easier said than done, even for a usual confident person like herself. Leblanc took a few breaths before closing her eyes and nearly leaping through the tent way.

"Uhf!" Nooj took a step back as soon as she crashed into his chest, before chuckling lightly, "In a hurry?"

Her face instantly turned shades of red, "I-I'm sorry, love."

"No need to apologize," Nooj shook his hand lightly, before side-stepping to get around her, "I wanted to speak with you. Perhaps, you can wait here until I come back? I have a few things to grab for the sphere-hunter."

Leblanc swiveled her head, and just as she feared but expected, Logos sat slightly slouched in a chair, his face obviously amused that she had roughly ran into Nooj. Leblanc puckered her lips and shook her head at him and his irritating smirk before turning to Nooj, "I will, love."

"I will return shortly," Nooj looked over at Logos before fully turning and exiting the tent completely. The bright sun that had returned over the land shot white light through the swinging crack of the tent flap before the tent was once again drenched in a cool darkness.

Leblanc fidgeted a little in her place, bobbing her hip as she had always done when she was waiting, before Logos's slurred voice broke the silence that was developing.

"You can sit you know. I have a feeling it will be a little bit of time before he actually comes back." Logos laughed a little in the back of his throat, leaning back and folding his hands under his chest, "It's an extensive list."

"For what anyways?" Leblanc kept her chin in the air and scooted a chair back noisily. She slowly sat as he explained.

"Mending equipment. That blow you dealt me broke one sphere completely and fractured the other," Logos flicked the green slivers that were propped against each other, toppling them with dull thuds, "I'm glad they were there to soften the hit to my ribs."

"Don't be overdramatic," Leblanc crossed her arms, "They probably broke after you fought some fiends or battled with the Yevonite Rebels. It's not like I'm that brutishly strong."

"Half the time I wonder…" Logos smiled when Leblanc's light brown eyes shot up to glare.

"What's with your attitude? It's annoying me!" Leblanc refrained from slamming her fist down on the table, but did stomp her foot a little underneath it, "You never were this irritating before."

"Well, as you said before, you're no longer my boss. Therefore, I suppose that gives me a little more leniency with speaking freely, doesn't it?" He tapped his finger against the tabletop twice before reclining back again, "I don't intend to hold anything back anymore."

With nose in the air, she tilted her chin away from him and stared from the corner of her eye, "Oh really?"

Another pull at the corner of his lip, "Really."

Another moment of silence passed between them, and the only sounds of course was Leblanc's aggravated breathing and Logos's level ones.

It, honestly, was more comfortable than the earlier conversation with the Meyvn, even with the fact that Leblanc could scare the gunner more than Nooj ever could. And though a pissed off Leblanc usually made the uptight gunslinger nervous, now considering what had made her so, and what really bothered her, the gunner couldn't help but seeing it as cute.

And Leblanc couldn't help but see it as irritating that he was seemingly enjoying it so much.

"Sooo-" Leblanc rolled her eyes around the tent, feeling awkward and inwardly wondering how much longer would it take for Nooj to get back and safe her from this, "How are the Goons anyways?"

"Still fine," Logos scraped the pieces together from the green sphere, "They miss you terribly, as always."

Leblanc didn't quite know what to say to that so just went, "Oh," before her brow creased and she frowned.

"You could come home with me," Logos met her eyes, "If you wanted to. Maybe…just for a bit?"

"Home?" Leblanc sighed, her eyes wanted to redirect anywhere in the room, but couldn't tear away from his stare, "Logos, I think this is my home now."

"Hrm," Logos lowered his shoulders after a sigh, "Well, you could think about it."

Leblanc said nothing for a moment before softly, "Alright…"

Logos's fingers danced over the tabletop, tapping again, when the quiet dragged on between them. Where was Nooj? It shouldn't have taken that long, especially since he could get some Youth Leaguers to do it for him.

"Well," Leblanc broke the awkward stillness again, "He's taking his time, isn't he love?"

"Seems so."

Another couple of taps of his fingers and Logos sighed heavily, stretching the sound out, before drawing his hand across the table with the rasp of cloth against wood from his glove. His hand dropped into his lap and he leaned hard back against his chair, groaning a little in the back of his throat.

Leblanc shifted a bit, before rubbing at a mark on the table. When it vanished, leaving the end of her finger a little gray, she rubbed her digits together to clear that as well. The minutes ticked by, and after a good three of them, Leblanc looked behind her to the tent way, "I wonder what's taking him. Where is it that he went to go get them from? Luca?"

That earned a light chuckle from across the table before Logos drawled, "Patience. I'm sure your beloved Meyvn will show up eventually."

Leblanc narrowed her eyes, "Stop that."

"Hmm? What?" Logos opened one eye lazily, his hands reaching for behind his head.

"Beloved Meyvn," Leblanc echoed with a grumble and ran her fingers through the side of her spikes to bristle them up more, "I know you don't care for him. You're just teasing me."

Logos opened both his eyes then before lowering his arms back to the table, "I'm sorry, Boss- erm, Leblanc."

"Fine," Leblanc mumbled before getting ready for the hush to come back around them again, but Logos didn't let that happen.

"Tss-" He took in a sharp breath through his teeth before speaking, "I think we should probably discuss-"

"What?" Leblanc shifted again, her fingers tightening into a fist. She already knew where this was going though. "I told you I don't know Logos. You're my friend, but- I just don't know, alright?"

"I understand," Logos managed a weak smile, "I'm just curious about- well, suppose that a part of you does love me back." He lifted his hands in the air before shaking them, "Hypothetically if that makes you comfortable-" He sat his hands palm-flat against the table, "Well, with that in mind, suppose that the Meyvn Nooj doesn't ever return your feelings. Suppose he just wants to only be professional friends. Would that sway your mind into going home with me? Or are you satisfied with just serving him all your life?"

"Logos," Leblanc exasperatedly shook her head, "I really don't know. Besides, nothing is set in stone. I still may have a chance with Nooj."

"I'm not saying that you didn't," Logos looked at her and smiled, "In fact, I think you have all the chance in the world. But I can still hope."

"Hope away but that still might not get you anything," Leblanc grumbled.

"With that idea, doesn't it apply to you as well? I would like to think that just a bit of hope can take me a long way. It already has changed a considerate amount of things within me. Truthfully, it was you that gave me this hope." Logos rubbed the corner of his mouth with his thumb then plopped his hand down beside him onto the chair arm, "So, you never answered my question before. What _did _you think?"

"About what?" Leblanc twitched when that annoying smile snaked its way onto his lips yet again.

"Well, you know-" He was smiling bigger then and he brought an index finger to his lips and lightly tapped them, "I do believe you were going to say something before we were rudely interrupted."

Leblanc's face flushed and she stiffened in her seat, "I wasn't going to say anything!"

"Yes you were," He nearly laughed at her flustered rush to keep a straight face, "Did you want me to stop?"

"You-" Leblanc stood up then, her chair screeching against the floor backwards, "You're unbearable!"

"Unbearable? Wait, Leblanc-" He stood up too and crossed the space between him and the entryway in long quick strides before diving into Leblanc's way. "Wait," He repeated before moving his arms out to the side of him, "You didn't answer me."

"Get out of my way, Logos!" Leblanc took a hard step to the left but he leaned into her way, "I mean it!"

"Just give me an answer, Boss," He shook his head, "And don't go. Nooj will be back soon enough an-."

"Right now I don't really care! I just want to get away from you." Leblanc glared, "Out of my way."

"Please, just give me a quick yes or no answer," Logos spoke so quickly it came out in one breathless line.

"I already told you I don't know! I don't know! Is that alright with you? You're so- so- Arruh!" Leblanc stomped her foot, her arms shaking at her sides.

Logos dared to lean again to block her path, "Boss, I just need to know. I'm really not trying to annoy you-"

"Oh really?" Leblanc raised her head up and crossed her arms, her sassy hips jutting out to the side, "You really could've fooled me!"

Logos slowly let his arms down loosely at his sides, "What's the matter, Boss? All I asked was a simple question. Don't be so flustered!-"

"That was _not _a simple question. Damnit!" Leblanc balled up her fist, ready to hit him in his side again if he continued to stand in her way, "What did you think I was going to say, huh! What should I say?"

"I really don't know." Logos took a step back, feeling slight fear from the dangerous energy radiating from her, as he had before when she was building herself up for one of her infamous fits, and her shaking fist drove him back more. His eyes widened a bit, but he didn't jump out of the way as he would've done before all of this happened.

Logos turned his pupils in his thin eyelids and said, "I suppose the _truth_ should be your answer. I just want to know if you wanted me to stop then. "

"I want you to stop talking, right now!" Leblanc screwed her eyes shut and mentally tried to block her ears. She already felt the strange heat in her arms and chest, and willed it to stop though it did not.

"What about then, when I kissed you, did you want me to stop then?" Logos took had a leap of courage and grabbed her arms to still her, "Leblanc, it's really just a yes-or-no answer. Just…tell me, please?"

"I don't know," Leblanc lifted her brows and her eyes widened, her body trembling with energy again that she didn't know where to place, "I didn't know what I was going to say then!"

"You did know, you were about to say something!" Logos forced his hands away from her shoulders, "What was it?"

"You really are so annoying! I already told you that I don't know! I don't know anything right now!"

The tent flap was pushed aside and blinded them both with a white flash from the outside world. Leblanc blushed again when Nooj's smooth voice interrupted their beginnings of another argument.

"Should I wait outside?" He said with a raise on the corner of his lip. Logos squared his shoulders before coughing down into the side of his fist.

"D-did you bring the things I need?" He cleared his throat afterward, finding words thick and awkward, "It took you quite a bit of time."

"I had someone run to Djose to retrieve a certain tool," Nooj held up the said item, "Apparently they got distracted by an inquisitive Al Bhed girl about a gunner that had been there earlier today."

Leblanc huffed before raising a brow at Logos, who shook his hand at her desperately then reached out for the tool with a polite thank you, though his expression was the more sarcastic _thanks a lot. _

Nooj turned back out to get the rest of the equipment, or rather to direct it to a certain part of the headquarters for the sphere-hunter's use, before Logos tilted his body to Leblanc.

"It was a former Gullwing, the one at Djose? I had been shot earlier after being mistaken for a fiend. I think I've told you this already. Well, sort of shouted it at you earlier perhaps. Well, I was shot and-"

"Oh, enough excuses Logos and go do your job." Leblanc pointed with a firm finger out the entryway before he slouched his head, as he had done in the past before, and walked out as was her request. Nooj saved the chuckle until after he had left.

"It seems he still takes orders from you Leblanc." Nooj leaned onto his cane.

Leblanc sighed, "Not really anymore love."

"Leblanc," Nooj adjusted his feet until he faced her dead on, "I know that this may be a bit inconvenient for you, but perhaps you'd consider doing me a favor?"

Leblanc's heart did a little skip, "Anything love."

"A call has come in from Guadosalam. It seems after their 'leader' left, they have been busy with work. They say they have some new spheres that I would particularly want. The Youth League being as mangled as it is after that attack can't spare much of any hands at the moment. But, they say that they can't spare any either since competition with other sphere-hunters are high and they can't set aside any upcoming missions. Maybe you'd like to go there for me and get them? It would be nice to have you here, but I'm sure you'd get the job done faster since you know what to do quickly and with little nonsense. Sadly, I can't go myself of course. I have to oversee the repairs before any other blows are dealt."

Leblanc blinked, "Wait, love, are you saying you want me to go back…home and get some spheres for you?"

"Precisely," Nooj's deep voice lowered, "I'd be grateful to you if you could spare the time for it. Unless of course you'd rather not then I can send someone else…"

"No! No!" Leblanc shook her head, "I-I'll do it, love!"

"Thank you, I'm relieved to hear that, Leblanc. I think you should leave as soon as you can to try and avoid any other unpleasant weather." Nooj swayed, his weight against his cane, before turning back around to get back to work on the Youth League, "You know, considering your past with them and how much they enjoy being in your company, perhaps you'd like to take a little time there was well?"

At Leblanc's wide eyes, Nooj simply hinted at a smile over his shoulder, the tent opening pushed aside in his hand, and said" Thank you again, Leblanc."

Leblanc blinked again as she stood alone in the main tent. A beat passed before she bit down on her knuckles and screamed at the top of her lungs.

* * *

><p>"Ha ha!" Nia pointed at her, swaying on her rear, as Leblanc threw things carelessly into a string sealed bag, "Perfect, Love-Love, it's perfect!"<p>

"What's so funny?" Leblanc crinkled her nose at her, "I don't like it."

"That's why it's so funny!" Nia laughed again, "You are gonna have a great trip! The time of your life!"

Leblanc drew the bag closed with a quick _shwip! _of the string against the canvas, "Sarcasm doesn't suit you Nia."

"Well, this suits you," Nia looked her up and down, "I don't know. Did something happen? I think something might have happened to you, Love-Love. What happened?"

"Like what?" Leblanc threw her eyes away from the shorter woman and opened a pouch in the front of the bag, before shoving a few small articles of clothing into it, mainly her undergarments that she had taken from Guadosalam with her.

"Oh, I don't know. Like something between you and the gunner," Nia reached down under her pallet and brought out a memo pad and a pen. She opened the lid of the ready pen with her teeth and held it there while she scribbled a few words on the pad, clearly busy, "Did he shay shome'fing to yoo?"

"Well," Leblanc opened the main compartment of her bag again, having forgot to put something in. She didn't bother with a lot of things, knowing, she told herself, that she'd be back and that she already had some clothes and necessities at the chateau still, if the Goons didn't move anything, which they probably didn't. Leblanc tried to think up a decent lie or something to divert the woman's attention, but was having a difficult time doing it.

Nia ripped out the note and crumbled it in her palm. Leblanc watched her scribble a few letters onto another sheet before turning her attention back behind her to go through her other stuff. Nia slipped something out from under her pallet and grabbed the crumbled ball from the floor before tossing them both into Leblanc's open bag.

"We didn't say much of anything. We argued and that was that." Leblanc finally decided, not seeing the ball and other item being flung into her back before she shoved a pair of Youth League pants in there and sealed the bag up again with a rough yank of the drawstring. "I mean-"

Nia lifted a brow at her, reading her deception, "He _did _do something didn't he? What?"

"It doesn't matter!" Leblanc shut the canvas bag's flap over the drawstring to fully shut it, her hands moving over the buckles and straps to secure it, "So just drop it, love."

"Oh god!" Nia jumped back dramatically, one arm catching her from falling all the way flat on her back, and she brought a hand to her mouth, "He smooched ya, didn't he?"

"Honestly!" Leblanc shook her head in disbelief at the woman's childishness, "Grow up!"

"He did! I'm right!" Nia leapt forward, her eyes excited. It was almost like payback for Leblanc's eagerness when she became an 'item' with Hacky. Though she was genuinely excited as Leblanc was and meant no irony. She held a palm to the side of her face, her mouth smiling, "Was there tongue?"

"Nia!" Leblanc swung the bag of her shoulder as she stood up, "Please!"

"Okay, okay," Nia shrugged before getting up herself, ready to get back to her duty, "Just let me know _everything _when you get back from Guadosalam." She added a wink, "I hear it might take a couple of days."

"Not for me. The journey can be done in one night if I had the mind too!" Leblanc shook her finger up in the air, "And, I probably won't be take my sweet time if I have something to do for Nooj."

"Yeah right," Nia giggled. "The weather's been so bad and all, you don't know…"

"Your such a child," Leblanc shook her head before turning to leave, "Just try to be more mature for Hacky, will you?"

"Right!" Nia smiled before standing from her kneel and straightening out the bottom of her uniform as she ducked out of their tent behind Leblanc, "Hey Love-Love?"

Leblanc sighed again, "Yes?"

"Just unload your bag when you get there." Nia waved her hand, "I heard Nooj say that you could visit for a couple of days if you wanted to since they are your friends. Why don't you? Relax a little and enjoy it because I doubt you'll be able to do it again. Ever."

"Fine," Leblanc said half-heartedly before looking around, "Where's Logos? We might as well go now, since I've wasted enough time. The last Shoopuf takes off across the Moonflow before the sun goes down, which is about in three hours. You think he's done fixing the spheres?"

"I saw him go towards the mess hall a long time ago. I think he was looking for you." Nia pointed towards the respective area with a jam of her thumb, "I don't know if he's still there or not."

"Thank you, love, " Leblanc turned towards her thumb, "I'll start there."

"See ya," Nia waved before she leaned forward and hollered at Leblanc's retreating back, "But I'm serious about telling me _**everything **_when you get back!"

Leblanc yelled back slightly annoyed, "Alright!"

* * *

><p>She heard him before she saw him, and when she pushed open the tent's canvas opening, she wouldn't have believed what she saw if someone just told it to her. But seeing is believing as the saying goes.<p>

Dimitri and Braco sat, for once, silent and wide eyed as they watched Logos's hand move over the six bullets in his palm. He closed his fist around them, opened it, and they were gone. He clenched his fingers again, and they returned. He closed his hand and flicked one free, caught it as it spun in the air, then continued to make it dance over his lean knuckles.

Braco clapped, "Cool!"

Dimitri raised his bandaged head from watching the gunner's hand and smiled with his huge gap, "Can you tea'tch me that?"

Logos flicked another bullets out and flipped it over his knuckles slowly to join the other one, now making two bullets wiggle over his fingers. "Maybe."

"All righ'th!" Dimitri pumped a fist towards his side and bobbed his head.

Now when was he good with kids? And when was Braco and Dimitri quiet for more than three seconds? Leblanc smiled a little and leaned to the side, her head tilting as she watched the dimming light flutter over the slick lines of the bullets in his hands. It was kind of memorizing. That explained why they stayed quiet at least.

It was a bit different watching him entertain kids though. With his lack of general patience, and his obvious abhorrence for immaturity, he seemed to lose his cool around Taji and Daji alone, much less that random kid in Luca that was amazed at his tall height. He scared him off last time with a snarl and a glare. But now here he was being actually…nice to someone under twenty years old.

Granted it wasn't like he was actually playing with them, but usually the gunner was uncomfortable around children. But, now he looked pretty relaxed as he let the bullets glide over his gloves.

He opened his finger, letting the bullets fall from his palm, before flipping his hand and catching them before the hit the ground. The two on his knuckles stayed up in the air as his hand flew down before starting to fall with gravity. He flipped his hand and caught them in his palm as well.

"Awesome!" The two boys continued to praise with simple phrases like 'so cool!' and 'that was so sweet!' before Logos stood up.

"I have to do something before I go," He informed them and turned to walk towards the back of the mess hall and proceeded into the empty kitchen. Braco stood up and brushed off his shorts when he caught sight of Leblanc through his thick glasses.

"Hey!" He ran up to her and instantly started to babble, "That guy's really cool. Earlier he showed us how to load a revolter, a revolover- a-"

Dimtiri limped slightly up beside him, "A _revolver _s'th'tupid."

"I knew that, you just didn't let me say it!" Braco turned to Dimitri and yelled into his bandaged face before turning back to Leblanc, "And he listened to us talk and didn't tell us to shut up or nothing!"

"Yeah, I told him how I jumped in front of tha'th huu-uuge s'tholider," Dimitri spread his arms to emphasis the 'actual' size of his opponent, "And hit'th his'th head with my head to s'thave your butt'th!"

Leblanc lifted her brows, her chin tilting, and a light smile growing, "Oh really? Then you told him how your head got all bandaged up?"

Dimitri let his eyes fall, and folded his hands behind him, "Nooo- but he asked if that'th why my face was'th all hurt and I told him it was'th 'cu'th that dirt-bag hit me sideways'th with a gun."

Leblanc looked at the empty kitchen and bent down at her knees a little and dropped her voice, "Then what did he say?"

"He th'aid I should be careful," Dimitri let his frown turn to a gap-toothed grin, "And tha'th i'th was a good f'ing I was'th there for you!"

She smiled warmly to the boys, "Yes, I suppose it was."

"He's weird," Braco bounced little on his feet, his hands behind his back, and his eyes rolling around the room, "But he's cool too."

"Oh really?" Leblanc straightened herself out before patting Dimtiri on the head as she passed them, "Well, that's good."

"He al'tho th'aid that if Nooj were th'mart then _he _would've watch'thed your back!" Dimtiri said to her back, and gulped when she turned around to glare.

"What did he say again?"

"Uhm," Dimtiri lowered his head into his shoulders, "If Nooj were th'mart then -uh, he would've watch'thed your back…an' uh, thath's it."

"Did he now?" Leblanc frowned and yelled towards the back, "Logos! What are you doing back there? Stop your lollygagging this instant and let's go!"

When will he learn that to insult Nooj is the biggest mistake!

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Have we gotten anywhere? Have we? Have we? Well, we'll just see in the next chapter, now won't we?**


	15. Is Everything a Disaster or Just Fine?

"Chapter 15: Is Everything a Disaster or Just Fine?"

* * *

><p>"Mind explaining why you couldn't spare a single soul to deliver some spheres you supposedly have found while I was gone?"<p>

_Aaahhhhmmm, _Ormi's bumbling voice drawled into the H.E.A.R.T speaker hesitantly, before he finally managed a weak and hardly believable, _We's been real busy since you left, Logos. I's mean's reeaall busy._

"Oh? So, of course I'm to assume that most of the Goons must be on some vital mission then?" Logos tapped his lean finger into the edge of the counter he was leaning against agitatedly, his tone cool despite the hidden heated edge that sometime slipped, "And since you've been oh-so busy, the chateau is spotless. I mean, considering you've hardly been in it at all."

_Yeah!_ Ormi's eyes trailed over the walls of the oscillo-finder room, silvery blades jutting out from cracks in them meeting his eyes guiltily. The night before, all the goons and himself became quite bored, with no missions worth setting out to complete, and started a knife throwing contest in the living room that migrated to other rooms of the chateau even after it was done and victors decided. They had yet to pick up the mess it created.

And that wasn't considering the mess they made before that, with the fruit throwing war that the devious twins started.

And before that…with the whole leaving the secret passageway door open, after it had been stuck, and leaving it unattended just long enough for a pack of fiends to run amok in the living room, where a serious battle ensued, leaving several things upturned and tossed aside.

Logos's radio-static voice slipped into the awkwardly quiet room, _And naturally our sphere vault holds so many more spheres of importance for Nooj? _

"Y-yeah, of course buddy!" Ormi blared, his voice high-pitched and nervous, "Sooo's, when are youse coming back again?"

_I think I'll leave that for you to wonder, dunderhead. When I get back, I can only hope most of the Goons would be just returning from important missions and the chateau isn't a complete wreck._

"It won't be!" Ormi defended, even as upstairs he could hear a girlish shriek, a crash of something glass, and then the dull roaring of accusations and a starting argument. Ormi could almost feel the doubt radiating into his hand from the radio receiver in his palm.

"Don' worry," Ormi added with a light wave of his other flatly held hand, "Everything will be jus' fine. Youse don't forget to bring the boss."

_Forget? Have __**you**__ forgotten that because of your accursed meddling, she's going to accompany me on the trip back home!?_

"Why are youse yelling?" Ormi leaned back and scratched his chest with his thick digits, the nasally shriek from the radio still ringing in his ears, "It's a good thing, right? Youse got plenty of time tah set things straight with the Boss! Unless youse already messed up-"

_Messed up? Oooh no, don't think that just because she'd rather not be traveling with me at the moment, it's my fault. Do you forget that the Boss is a woman? When she's particularly confused she needs time, quiet, space, and all this other stuff I don't really understand as to why women need at such a critical decisive moment, but just know that they do!_

Erie, stepping from the hallway to tell the second 'acting leader' something, rolled her eyes, as was shown in a turn of her masked head, and leaned into the round door frame just as the gunner articulated the last sentence through the receiver. Catching Ormi's eye with her motion, she muttered dully, "Isn't he just a charmer?"

Ormi smiled over his shoulder before pushing the button on the receiver again, "Youse'll be jus' fine. Don't talk if youse need to or talk, whatever. I'm sure it will work out!"

_How confident of you! If only you knew- Logos! What are you doing back there? Stop your lollygagging this instant and let's go! -Ah! I'm coming, Boss, er-Leblanc._

_**Bitz!**_

"Welp!" Ormi sucked in his gut for moment before letting out in a huge breath, "Sounds like things are going great!"

Erie crinkled her nose to the side and adjusted her weight, hardly believing that she and the warrior had heard the same conversation and reached such different conclusions. Because though he kept repeating, 'just fine!' Erie had her doubts about that.

Ormi's dark pupils looked up at her face before he frowned a little, "Whut?"

"This is going to be a disaster," Erie said unhappily and with a shake of her masked face, which coincidentally hid her disappointed features, "Even you have to admit that. Logos isn't exactly dependable when it comes to movie-worthy romantic turn-arounds, remember?"

"This ain't a movie, Erie, it's real life," Ormi said seriously enough to promote a sliver of hope, before he slowly stood up to stretch his beefy arms out in front of him. With a grunt of air, he dropped his thick limbs by his wide sides and nodded his head.

"Everything will go jus' fine. Youse never know's whut's going to happen when two people are alone, right?"

* * *

><p>"Boss, please, could you slow down?" Logos dragged his feet behind her on the road heading to the Moonflow. Being answered with silence, he lowered his eyelids and his shoulders before blandly announcing to her back, "You're ignoring me."<p>

Leblanc stomped her way forward, picking up her pace even more. The gunner knew just as much as she that she did not want to be taking this trip right now, with him, and to the destination they were set for. What couldn't he get through his skull that slowing down wasn't exactly an option?!

Had Leblanc said 'no' to Nooj's request, unthinkable as that was, then she would have more time to sort things out and find herself on a level of comfort again. But, no, she had to say 'yes!' to everything Nooj ever asked of her. Even as much as it pained her to do it.

"Boss!" Logos shouted again and reluctantly picked up his pace to catch up with her.

Did she not realize that he hadn't slept all night before, nor throughout the day as he worked on those precious spheres, _and_ the night before that as he abstained from slept out of anxiousness? Needless to say it was finally taking its toll on him now.

The sun was dipping lower into the horizon and Leblanc was determined to catch the last shoopuf out, the ride before sunset, and get the trip over with. However, Logos was too exhausted and was willing to even spend the night at the Youth League, which he'd avoid at all costs any other time, but it was what he had expected in this circumstance. After all, Leblanc had fought all night with Yevonite rebels. Wasn't the woman just a bit tired?

Still, Leblanc insisted on going, now, and _swiftly. _Logos set his mouth to a tight frown and fought the heaviness weighing down every inch of himself as he continued to walk behind his former boss. He was dirty and drained, every part of him feeling like he had to lift a boulder that was attached to him. It went without saying that he wasn't a bit happy with her ignoring him on top of all the other discomforts.

Leblanc could feel him drawing closer behind her and flinched. His presence alone was making her more tense, even as wound-up as she already was, and put her on an edge she's never been before. She wanted to run far away, and fast, and at the same time steeled herself for something no less than a raging storm.

And she didn't even have to look at that pinched up narrow head of his to feel that way.

Leblanc stiffened her back and, again, hurried forward to get some distance between him and her. She needed to think this through, find a solution to this problem that obviously benefited herself, as she always tried to do. After all, as annoying as he was being, she still valued the friendship she had with all the goons. She couldn't bring herself or Logos's feelings to ruin that.

That wasn't even considering the smooch as a factor…Leblanc avoided the memory like it was a horrendous plague. It really wasn't that bad, and she acknowledged it. Besides, she had been kissed before, many times, and not all of them by people she particularly liked. But, she could've rejected them easily, without thought or care. This time, was different.

Subconsciously, if she thought about it, she knew it would solidify a fact that she was trying to deny, something that would make things change forever. But, no matter what, the fact was glaring her down, refusing to go unnoticed anymore. It shouted in her inner ear, with a snide little voice, "_Logos loves you! You've known it for a while, haven't you? Well, now you just can't brush it off anymore. You can't just keep doing the same things over and over again, with no thought to his feelings, because now you know. It's time to do something. So do something!"_

_Oh, do what exactly? _Leblanc seethed back into her inner turmoil.

_I don't know, break his heart? Indulge him? Lead him on as you've always done? _

"_NO!" _Leblanc clenched her fists tight to her sides as she walked further and faster up the path. That wasn't the answer, none of them were, and her hands started to shake as the inner voice, perhaps her conscious, spoke again-

'_No' what, Leblanc? _

On the other hand, Logos, who was once again dragging behind, could almost be called at peace with at least that much. Finally, though heavy as his body felt, weighing his every step, one weight that was perpetually there since first meeting Leblanc was gone. He didn't have the problem of sorting through his feelings, that had already been a battle he waged for the last four odd years, the only problem of his was Leblanc ignoring him.

He stared at her back as it was growing farther and farther away from him. It was still disheartening how she was purposefully avoiding him. And though the thought of quickly catching up with her, wrapping his arms around her middle and swinging her around to kiss her again, real this time, then asking what she felt about _that _did cross his mind, he didn't allow himself that pleasure.

After all, despite stating that he'd hold nothing back anymore, he still valued the way his face was currently arranged. And, the situation was delicate; balanced on a thread where it would either fall to him or away from him forever. But, he had hope.

After all, she was at least thinking, and yes though she was confused, it only proved that there was some hidden doubt with her love for Nooj all along. And perhaps, there was a chance for him, room in her heart to hold him in somewhere more important, special, and intimate.

But waiting was hard. He told himself to be patient, since waiting this long hasn't killed him and surely a few more days wouldn't either. Despite that, he felt the creeping edge of impatience. He sighed and reminded himself to hold himself back for at least a little while longer, before shuffling to catch up with Leblanc several meters ahead of him, when a shadow across the edge of a cliff made him slow down to assess the danger.

He suspiciously glared up at the cliffs from the corner of his vision, the forms too skinny and tall to be fiends, but was undoubtedly stalking them like predators. Logos narrowed his eyes, _Bandits_.

The stupid and unrefined brutes would often not tangle with them, but could he count on that fact if they didn't recognize Leblanc in her new and disappointingly less sexy attire, or see the Leblanc Syndicate symbol on his still muck covered clothes? Considering his luck, most likely not. On top of that, they were attempting to actually catch the very last ride across the Moonflow. They didn't have time to spare on even the most easily dispatched idiots.

Though, Logos stiffened subtly and felt his hips for the belt that held his revolvers as creeping forms slinked ever closer, the fact was, he was extremely tired and Leblanc surely was no better off. It would be a lie to say he was at even a fraction of his usual fighting capabilities and could deal with them with the same ease.

He focused his eyes forward again to see Leblanc too far ahead of him for comfort, especially with the dark shapes looming directly overhead of them now, "Bos-!" He started to call but he could feel a form move and leap from the cliff, landing behind him, and felt a hard force crush his throat before he could turn around.

He gagged, silent, as a beefy arm cut off his words and his breath.

Logos's eyes widened as the shadows slid down the cliff and towards Leblanc's back, she distracted with thoughts and unaware that they were rapidly approaching with blades being drawn from their belted sheaths.

One hand clutched tightly at the hefty arm pushing against his throat, fingers digging into the sunburned flesh to wrench it away as much as possible, while his other hand reached out to his former employer's back, his mouth opening wide in a harsh and difficult gasp, "B-ahss!"

"Logos!" Leblanc whirled around, her face extremely angry, "Would you just take a hint-!"

The bandits grinned in malicious evil and lurched forward with crude weapons drawn.

* * *

><p>"AH!" Erie squeaked and threw herself into the attempt to catch the tumbling purple bottle. Her fingers glided over the space where the bottle had clunked into the floor just a second too late, the liquid sloshing out of the narrow neck from the upturned wood polish. The maroon carpet was quickly stained with an ugly brown color.<p>

"Whut?" Ormi turned to look down at the mess, a dust cloth in his hand. He thought for a moment, watching Erie dismally pick up the half empty container, before loudly stating, "It'll come right out!"

"No it won't!" Erie moaned, her eyes darting around for anyway to fix her error. She grabbed a cloth in the effort to do what she doubted could be done and slapped it over the stain, rubbing at if vigorously. Not to long after, she groaned sharply, "Agh! I'm such an idiot."

She threw the cloth she had been polishing the wood floors of Leblanc's room with aside and looked at the blotch on the carpet, smeared with the polish, and the stain just as dark as before.

Ormi tilted his head and smiled weakly, "She won't notice."

"Right," Erie rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Does something seem different about my room, love?" Erie's voice rose to an airy sort of pitch that was imitating Leblanc before dropping back into her dreary tone, "Oh Boss, I don't know what you mean. Wait, you mean that **hopelessly obvious stain right at the foot of your bed? **You know I just always thought our insignia needed a little makeover, you know, something to spice it up. A great big puddle ought to have done the trick!"

Ormi waited until she closed her mouth with an angry click of her teeth, her mouth involuntarily pulling into a bit of a pout.

"Youse alright now?" Ormi asked plainly, his hand reaching for a cleaner he had sitting on the dresser table that he was dusting, " 'Cuz youse can try this and see if it works..."

Erie took a calming breath and took the bottle of clear liquid with a dull, "Thanks sir."

After a couple moments, Ormi boomed, satisfied, "There! Youse see? It's already coming out." With that, he turned his hulky mass back to the dresser table and finished dusting the mirror, just in case that in the glorious return (hopefully permanent) of their boss, if she wanted to touch up her makeup or something then she'd have a clean reflection to see herself with.

Ormi nodded his head once, his reflection doing the same, and laughed, "Bwa ha! It's lookin' pretty good!"

Erie and Ormi was almost finished cleaning Leblanc's room, the Twins and Nago were cleaning the front halls and living room, Rouk, grumbling to himself, tracked down all the throwing knives (though he didn't participate in the game which was the main subject of his griping), while Mara, Zizi, and Anomi ran to the Thunder Plains to retrieve spheres from some uninteresting looking waves, because boring new spheres were better than none at all by the time Logos wanted to see what they had been doing while he was gone.

"Oh, Acting Boss!" Taji, enjoying the whole situation as a grand joke, shouted up the curved stairs with mock pleasantness, a faked almost girlish quality to his tone as he raised his voice, "Shall I make tea for the return of the Boss and Mr. Squinty?"

There was an audible smack and a rough teenage voice biting out, "Ow! _What'd you have to do that for?"_ Daji's voice followed, amusement lining his voice (since it wasn't very often that he triumphed over his several seconds older brother) "Sir? When is Logos and the Boss going to be here anyways?"

"Ah, I's don't know…" Ormi shook his head still staring into the reflective glass. Erie caught his eyes in the mirror and he gave her a light shrug. Then, with a huff, he turned to sweep the room with his eyes for one last final inspection.

It was perfect, untouched since the Boss left, and gloriously sparkling as she had left it as well. He smiled, proud, before looking down at Erie with a, "Well! Guess we's are done in here. Hungry?"

Erie nodded dimly before scooping up all the cleaning supplies into her spidery arms, the ugly splotch a dim stain that could possibly go unnoticed. Following after the 'Acting Leader', she walked down the left sides of the curving steps, swept cleanly, and through the dusted and properly polished foyer. She handed off the cleaning supplies to Daji, who held his hands out to them patiently, and unburdened with any load floated into the living room with high hopes.

"God damn thing!" The doctor goon was kicking the space where the secret passage way into the basement was hidden. Ormi plucked a shiny red apple from the arrangement on the table before waddling closer, taking a crunchy bite from the fruit's skin before asking, "Youse need's any help?"

"No," Rouk replied breathlessly, his rough voice gasping, "I got everything. Under. Control!"

His foot pounded into the wall with each of his words before he backed off and stared at the unmoving wallpaper. Erie snorted before taking light steps up beside the older doctor with a soft hand extending out towards the control panel.

There was a sheen of light, and the wall seemed to stay stuck. Erie touched it again, before shrugging, "I wonder why this thing always breaks?"

Ormi stepped forward, nodded at Erie, who touched the panel again, and with a great heave, forced the door open.

The doctor, catching his breath, straightened out his bent back and huffed, "Well, no harm in letting the moldy old basement air out again, eh? We'll just make sure to watch out for fiends this time…"

"Oh Erie!" A voice called deep-toned and sliding over syllables after the familiar creak and heavy thud of the front door, "Wait until you see the spheres I've brought back!"

"Zizi," Erie turned on her heel and crossed her arms over her lean torso as the dark-skinned girl, her face revealed behind the pinned mask, entered the living room with a crooked arm full of three spheres of orange color ( always a good sign).

"Nothing Nooj would be _dying _to get his hands on," Anomi reported to Ormi with a cute and loose-wrist salute after sliding in beside Zizi, "But, nothing he would deem perfectly worthless. I think it's safe to pretend we had a little bit of poor judgment when valuing them."

"And we didn't run into the Gullwings either!" Mara added happily, a high heel curving into the air and her lithe arm shooting up towards the ceiling, "Or any other rival sphere hunters!"

"Good!" Ormi boomed and took another bite from the apple in his hand, "Everything is going great!"

"Yeah," Rouk looked at the wide open entrance of the passageway before crossing his arms and commenting darkly, "I wonder if we are just suddenly lucky."

"Uh-oh," Anomi said ominously, and all eyes, including the twins and Nago who had joined them in the living room, raised to look at her. In her hand, she held a blue sphere, a long crack on its smooth surface.

Mara let her head tilt curiously, "It wasn't like that when we found it, was it Anomi?"

"Of course not!" Anomi's voice rose to an offended pitch, "And I was really careful with it all the way here! Damnit!" She then took to cussing in her native Al Bhed tongue before finally spitting out, "This was our best one too! I could of swore it might've been one that Nooj coulda wanted!"

"Oh, we'll fix it!" Daji chirped positively and held out his gloved hand to take the sphere, but as soon as the little glowing ball changed hands, there was a loud creaking sound, and the sphere suddenly broke into two clean pieces, "AH! I didn't mean-!"

"No, it's alright," Erie soothed Daji, who looked on the verge of tears as it laid broken in his hands, "We can probably still fix it…"

Which was true enough, but all eyes exchanged looks anyways, before Taji nervously asked the question that was in all their minds.

"Uhm, think Lady Luck is trying to tell us something?"

"Yeah," Rouk grumbled, "Probably something along the lines of 'this is going to be a disaster."

* * *

><p>Logos ducked as an arm swung forward for his face, brandishing a curved sword, and it flew with a startling whistle of the air just above his skull. Without hesitation, he ran forward and dug his the heel of his empty-chambered revolver into the rigid gut of the ruffian before pushing the man's chest with his shoulder to knock him flat on his back.<p>

Leblanc lifted up her knee and caught a charging brute where it counted the most, before letting her short-sword hilt fall into his the back of his neck, exposed to her as he bent over the pain in his jewels. With a grunt he fell forward to her feet.

The bandits had backed off of the fighting couple, surprised at the swiftness of their retaliation, but smiling wickedly at the quickly tiring bodies of them.

Logos, huffing and blinking rapidly, let his back turn towards Leblanc's own as they now stood in the middle of a circle of thugs, whom were engaged in the slow lifting of their blades of all sinister shapes and sizes.

"Oh thank you Logos," Leblanc bit suddenly, her eyes glued in front of her as her grip tightened on the pommel of her sword.

Logos spared only half a glance over his shoulder before the inching movement looming before him forced his eyes back. He quickly went to replenish the empty chambers of his revolver, his hands moving seamlessly over the barrel of the trusty guns, before he managed a sharply bitten reply, "Are you somehow hinting that this is my fault?"

"Of course it is!" Leblanc let her gaze drift a little more to the right, the men at that side approaching faster than from the other, "If _you _hadn't shown up at the Youth League out of _nowhere_, I wouldn't be here right now!"

"Well excuse me, Boss," Logos's fists creaked against the grip of his revolvers, his eyes daring those in front of him to journey any closer to them, which they seemed to accept as a challenge. He pressed his back closer to her, his muscles tensing as the ruffian's gleaming blades fixed upon them. After some time of angrily grinding his teeth, the gunner spoke again acidly, "But, might I point out that if I _hadn't _shown up, you'd be lying on your backside off the side of cliff…"

Leblanc promptly huffed. "I would have been fine!"

"Somehow I doubt that," Logos shot back, before adding, "Besides, do you recall that the only reason I was there was because a certain _someone_ left home in the first place?!"

"Well, a certain _someone else _didn't say anything to stop me, did he?" Leblanc pressed her back harder into his than she needed to, shoving him slightly unbalanced. He stood straighter with a scowl on his face towards the leering ugly mug of the brute before him, who was appearing to be somewhat amused at the heated conversation separate from the danger he and his so-called chums presented.

"Oh, what could that someone else have done to stop that someone from doing the most irresponsible and childish thing she has ever done in her life? That's including when that little Miss someone ran away without any word of notice to chase after some man she had no idea as to where he ran off to."

"At least that 'some man' has enough balls to say how he feels!"

"Oh?" Logos let out a beat of breath, "And what exactly has he said of his feelings for you?"

Leblanc's face painted red, before her blood boiled behind her face, an angry red hue coloring over her creamy complexion. She spun on her heel and brandished her tightly closed fist as she shrilled loudly, "Alright Logos, that's it! Iwill put my fist right up your-!"

At her turned back, the rough men pounced and lurched forward in attack. The clash of metal and the echoing cry of bullets cracked through the high rock walls.

Shuffling in a circle, their backs pressed firmly together, the gunner and former Syndicate leader shot and dashed all those that dared to jump in close. When a brief pause was presented from no opposition facing him, Logos glanced over his shoulder to find the Boss raising her sword to meet a blade of a ruffian. Another, having already been dropped to the ground by Leblanc stabbing his forearm, drew a knife from his belt and jumped at her busy hands.

"Boss!" Logos, without anymore warning than that, palmed the side of her head and pushed her sideways and down, forcing her to stumble away. He lifted his gun, the gleaming knife slicing the air towards him, and fired. The knife continued in it's arc, even as the bullet seared through the man's belly, and found the plane of skin right under his sharply squinted eye. With a hiss from the gunner's teeth, the blade scored a bright red line over his cheekbone, the side of his hood and the pinkish silk scarf that held his helm in place cut and opened to show the slick black hair underneath and the crimson line continuing nearly to his ear.

"Logos!" Earlier anger was washed away from her features as a wave of concern flooded into her wide opened eyes.

"Nothing to worry about!" He held his hand up to his stinging face and fired his other revolver again at the next opponent to step forward. A fist found the other side of his face and the helm was knocked from his head to splatter into the nasty muddy road. Bending over, another fist found him before something lithe and noticeably small screamed and streaked through the air.

Leblanc's boots found the heads of the two men attacking Logos, and kicked them aside. Logos smiled, a whistle escaping from his teeth as he saw that it was the last of them falling unconscious to the ground, and flicked a loose wrist through the air in a vague gesture, "I have to say, I've never seen you do that before."

Leblanc shook her shoulders back, her free clumps of hair brushing against her prideful smirk, "I never could before. I had always worn a dress, love."

Logos's smile grew, his mouth opening to say something else, before his eyes trailed upwards and a frown replaced it.

"What, love?" Leblanc blinked, stepping closer.

"Well, I was going to say something along the lines of - 'and it looked even more lovelier in the setting sun'- but then, well-" Logos gave a light shrug of his shoulder and lowered his head.

"Why-?" Leblanc flushed slightly, noting to herself that he had said something ridiculous (surely) before she let out an aggravated howl with widening eyes of dawning realization.

"We've missed the last ride, damnit!"


End file.
